Author's Note: Hi everyone! I am so floored at how many reviews I got last chapter. I'm inspired and encouraged to continue writing as fast as I can because I know you are all waiting. I actually thought I was done with this chapter a while ago, but before I knew it, this chapter became longer than I thought. I wasn't satisfied until I felt Inu/Kag were okay. There was so much that was happening, and so much between Inu/Kag that I didn't want it to stop. LoL which I'm sure none of you are complaining. I had warned you last chapter that this next one would be a doozy so I hope you're ready for it. I told you you might want to be sitting next to a fire with a drink in hand while you read this one ;) There's so much that could happen in one night, don't you think? I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

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RTR

val-rommel: Akari is not from the Inuyasha anime :) I'm glad you like the story so far. And sorry I didn't update last Saturday. I had mentioned it might take me a while, and again it probably will take me longer than a week for the next one since I'm diving again for work- which means longer hours on the ocean and being too tired to write when I get home. But my thoughts are freeflowing for the story so I'm working on it and everyone's reviews just inspires me to write more, faster. Thanks for your review!

hive-chan: LoL 'wet dream'. That's too funny. Yes, and that was just a 'basic' routine for her. Not that acrobatic just yet, Kag has more up her sleeve after nearly a decade of working at Midnite. But like all dancers, they all have to be flexible and nimble, doing stretches daily, before and after dances, etc. So she does have lots of stretching and flexibility that would make for good pole dancing, well, dancing in general. But as for incorporating her skills on the pole to the dance floor... well, you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for your review!

susu-anon: Yes, it would be cool if Kag/Inu made their own choreography for the men and women ;) These lips are sealed. But I'm glad you liked how realistic that part was, with the fans quickly taking to social media. That's how it is nowadays. Everyone has a cell phone, camera and internet at their fingertips. Which is why... Kag didn't want to be known because of how fast things spread and who they could spread to. Thanks for your review! Love your enthusiasm and excitement!

anime-geek: Awww, I love the way you saw Inu during that scene. I didn't see it so adorably cute as you saw it, but now his reaction is stuck in my head and it's such a cute look for him lol. As for Kag at Midnite- yes, she does care about her appearance, all the girls do, they have to, but for her, because of her body figure, she's able to pull off outfits well and she wears 'the part' well. Midnite is like her second skin, her persona, and she loves working there to free herself from the realities of her real world, possibly to a fault as reality and fantasy can become blurred. You'll see what I mean. And as for that man at Midnite- he was just one of her clients that aren't like Sai, they just go there to be waited on and think that women are worth nothing more but to serve men. He's just a douche lol. Thanks for your review!

MinxieXCX: When I first heard '6 Inch Heels' I knew that this song was meant to be a part of my story. And the inspiration for my story came during my exercise with CIZE from Sean T. I was working out one day and just thought what it would be like for Inu/Kag to be dancers. Then, I thought of some songs that they would dance to and immediately Beyonce's song came to mind and it was freeflow writing from there :) I hope the two of them will have their own song, besides Kikyo's 'Who's Got You?'. But then again, she tries to keep that part of her life separate from Inu so who knows. Thanks for your review!

inusitter: I'm so glad you like the story. You will probably love the characters even more in this chapter. Thanks for your review!

Rosie B: Wow! I can't believe you read all 10 chapters in one night! LoL thank you! I'm so glad you like the story that much. And thanks for that tidbit about the butterfly. I never thought of it that way- connecting it with Mariah Carey and freedom and all. I saw it as something innocent, cute and that took flight- reminds me of Kikyo with her dream to be a singer. But I like how you see it as well. Thanks for your review!


"Are you riding with us?"

Kagome kept her shoulder up in order to keep her phone against her ear while she looked around in her closet for something to wear. Tonight was Inuyasha's family's charity event. She didn't want to wear just anything. 'But… what do you wear to a charity event?'

"Ummm… Sango… what are you wearing tonight?"

"Oh. I'm going to wear a light green gown. It's just a charity event, Kagome."

"What does that mean?" she asked, clearly needing help. She really was out of her league. She's never been to a charity event, nor did she ever have to wear a gown outside of Midnite. She didn't grow up in a fancy lifestyle wearing fancy things. Was it normal to wear a gown to a charity event? Kagome groaned, her eyes scanning her closet, not finding any gowns she could wear. "I… don't have a gown," she moped.

Sango laughed through the phone. "Kagome. Why don't I have Miroku come pick you up? You can come over and you can borrow something I have."

Kagome frowned. She didn't want to be a bother to Sango and have her go through all that trouble. Plus, she was going to have Jinenji take her to the event. She didn't want to ride with them there in case she didn't have the nerve to go. 'Who am I kidding? Of course I'll go. I have to. For Kikyo.' Or so she told herself.

"It's okay, Sango. I'll find something to wear," she said, thinking of something. "You said you're wearing a gown? So a charity event is formal wear?"

"Yeah. Miroku's wearing a black and white tux." She giggled. "He always looks so cute and hot in one."

Kagome smiled, closing her eyes as she grabbed hold of her phone. "Whatever you say, Sango. I'll see you at the event, okay?"

"You sure? You have a ride and the address?"

"Yeah. Inuyasha texted all of us the address. I'll meet you guys there." They said their goodbyes and Kagome hung up, looking at her closet one last time. 'This isn't going to do.'

She scrolled through her phone's contact list and called someone who could help her.

"Kagome?" a sleepy voice mumbled through the phone.

"Ayumi." She smiled as she turned from her closet, heading to her purse and shoes. "I have a favor. Are you free?"

Ayumi yawned at the other end of the line. "What time is it?"

She sighed, closing her front door behind her, heading down the stairs, determined. "It's almost noon. I have five hours to find something fancy to wear for tonight."

"Ooooo, fancy huh? I like the sound of that. Where you going?"

"To a charity event, although it seems like a ball. Meet me at Shinjuku Station? I want to go shopping and I need your expert advice."

"Sure. Give me about fifteen minutes to throw something on and get ready. I'll text Midoriko too and see if she wants to meet us."

"Okay." She hung up and exited her apartment building, the afternoon heat immediately hitting her skin. Kagome smiled as she walked down the street, passing others by. 'I'll just buy something for tonight. Ayumi has great tastes.'

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Kagome spotted at Ayumi and stood up from a station bench to wave her down. Ayumi smiled and made her way over to Kagome, the two of them hugging one another in the thicket of people.

"So… what's this I hear about a fancy event tonight?" Ayumi teased. The two of them walked down the busy station's terminals, making their way outside to find some upscale store. Shinjuku Station had a lot of really good stores in the area since it was such a high traffic station. A lot of shops, especially couture and luxury shops, took up residence here to meet the overflow of passengers. There would be so much for them to choose from that it would probably take them all day to find something.

"Well, I've been invited to one of Inuyasha's family's charity event tonight."

"Oh my gosh! Really?" Ayumi said, her inner voice couldn't resist but to squeal. "Kagome, are you and Inuyasha going steady now?"

Kagome blushed and looked away. "Wh… what? No. We're not dating."

"Oh, really?" she teased, trying to look at Kagome's face, but the girl just kept avoiding her stare. Ayumi laughed. "Oh I wish Midoriko was here to see your face. You're blushing."

"Am not!"

"Whatever," Ayumi said, dropping the subject. The three of them have really become closer now ever since they had been opening up to each other lately about their lives. Not much else was said about their past, but they did let their guards down around each other more often so that they weren't just coworkers talking about work. But true friends. Friends who, like now, hung out with one another and helped each other out when asked. "Anyways… what are you looking for?"

Kagome thought about it as they passed by shops with mannequins setup in the windows. Some of the mannequins wore fancy, upscale clothing and designer clothes to every day jeans and comfort clothes. There was a wide variety of styles that she could choose from.

"I need something fancy which is why I brought you along to help me decide what to get."

Ayumi nodded, grabbing Kagome's hand and pulling her into the next shop. "We'll start here."

The two walked in and immediately their eyes went everywhere. There weren't many racks that littered the shop, only enough to catch your eye. As a designer store, the designer only sold so many pieces every season as fashion is ever changing. It was obvious that this was an expensive place from the tiles on the floor to the look of the clothing on the racks.

"Any color in mind?" Ayumi asked her. The two of them went to their own separate racks, checking out the selection.

Kagome shook her head, making a face as she scanned the apparel. "None so far. I really don't know what I want to wear but I'll know it when I see it."

Ayumi shrugged, the two of them scanning each dress that they could spot out. There were only a few dresses in the store but they took their time looking through everything. "Well… I wouldn't know either. I've never been to one."

"Excuse me," a woman said, walking up to them and bowing in greeting. "May I help you two with anything?"

Kagome and Ayumi smiled at her in greeting. "Yes. My friend here is looking for something fancy to wear to a charity event tonight."

The salesclerk looked Kagome over once, unable to hide her disapproving look, and then smiled to cover it up. "Not sure what you mean, but this might help." She led them to one of the dresses hung up on the wall.

Kagome frowned as they followed the woman, exchanging a look with Ayumi. They stopped when they got up to this long, golden gown that hung high up so it wouldn't touch the ground. Kagome looked it over once and immediately didn't like it. It was a sparkling gold dress and she didn't want to stand out that much. It looked like something one would wear to a red carpet event.

"Umm… I'm not sure I like this one. The color isn't my style." Ayumi brought her fingers up to her chin, nodding her agreement as she tried to picture Kagome in it.

The saleswoman turned around and nodded. "It is a very expensive dress." Kagome didn't miss the inflection in her voice, even though her face held a welcoming smile.

"It's okay. Thanks for your help," Kagome said, but all Ayumi could do was glare at the woman. "Come on. Let's try another store." Kagome turned and walked out, making Ayumi follow her.

"I can't believe that woman!" Ayumi said, fuming. "Did you hear her? What, she thinks we can't afford it?"

Kagome just shook her head with a smile. She couldn't blame Ayumi for getting angry. It was insulting to have someone judge you based on your looks, but she couldn't get angry at the woman. She was used to that type of stereotyping, ever since she was a child. "It's okay, Ayumi. It's because of how we look, that's all. It doesn't matter. Truth is, I've been around people like her my whole life, so I could care less about what she thinks of me."

Ayumi stopped in her tracks and frowned, looking at Kagome who kept her eyes up, still looking in the windows of the shops to see if she spotted anything that she liked. 'Kagome…' She would never understand the girl, but she would always have deep respect and care for her. Ayumi sighed and caught up with her. "Let's try this one."

After hours of going through dozens of stores, Kagome finally found a gown that she liked. Ayumi was over the moon at how good it fit and looked on Kagome. She was excited for her for tonight's event, wishing she could go just to see everyone's face when they saw her in it. The gown definitely was expensive, but nothing that they couldn't afford. They did work in a gentlemen's club, so this gown technically came from their deep pockets. Kagome also bought jewelry and shoes to go with the gown. It took them three hours to find something and get something to eat after Midoriko had texted Ayumi telling her she couldn't join them. So all in all, they had an eventful day of shopping.

Finally, the two women said their goodbyes at Shinjuku Station and went their separate ways to their own trains. Kagome made her way back to her apartment, setting her purse down on the table next to the door before she went to her couch to place her bag of items down.

"Alright. Time to take a bath and then get ready." She had about three hours before the event started at six but it was an hour drive across Tokyo Bay just to get to Inuyasha's parent's home. But it meant she had time to take a bath, maybe take a nap, and then get ready for tonight's event. She could already feel butterflies at the thought of going. She was excited to wear what she bought for tonight but she was also excited and nervous to see Inuyasha there. Plus, this was his family's home and event that she was going to so she would be meeting his family for the first time. 'I wonder what his parents are like,' she thought, turning on the water in her tub to take a long soak and maybe a short nap. She smiled as she began to strip naked, stepping into the hot water with a long sigh. 'Inuyasha…' The thought of him in a suit gave her butterflies.

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Jinenji called her when he was outside waiting for her. With one final look in the mirror, Kagome made sure she liked what she saw, and she really did. She thought she looked very sophisticated and elegant, something that she wasn't used to. And this dress up made her feel like she was Sapphire, only this time, she was Kagome and she would be going into the public without being her alter ego. This time, she could be Kagome and dress up as Kagome. She smiled at herself, grateful. If it wasn't for Inuyasha, she wouldn't be going to this event anyway. She had him to thank, especially for her job with the group and for him seeing her potential.

Grabbing her purse, Kagome turned off the lights in her apartment and locked the door behind her. She made her way down the stairs hurried out of the building. It was strange to be out in public dressed like this, especially in this part of Shinjuku, which was why there was no shortage of strange glances and whispers as people walked by when she came out. She made her way to the curb where Jinenji waited outside, opening the back door for her with a smile.

"You look beautiful, Kagome," he said with a blush, softening the scar above his left eye. Kagome smiled tenderly at him and placed her hand on his arm.

"Thanks, Jinenji. I… I don't mind riding in the front with you. I don't want you to feel like you're a taxi service," she said, not wanting to get in the back seat. It felt strange, almost like he was her chauffeur, which she didn't intend for him to be at all. She needed a ride and he was her first thought since he was always there for her.

"No. You sit in the back. Tonight is your special night," he said with a smile, his green eyes lighting up. Kagome reached up to run her thumb along his scar, knowing that she was the reason why it was there, but he never once complained of it and he always let her touch it as if it meant something to him.

"Thank you," she said with a smile and got in.

They talked along the way, Jinenji wanting to know if she needed a ride back home or if she wanted him to stay and wait for her. The Fujimoto's home was outside of Tokyo, across of the bay in Chiba Prefecture. They lived in the mountainous region of Nagara. Kagome hadn't been there before but since it was a long drive, she felt bad for having to ask Jinenji to wait around for her or to come back and pick her up. Even though he insisted that he didn't mind, Kagome refused and told him she would find a ride. They talked about the club and how Onigumo has been allowing her to get her nights switched around so she could work more for Kikyo. He also shared with her that he saw a few of her late night show performances on television and thought she did an excellent job. She was thrilled and overjoyed that someone whom she saw as a brother watched her perform. He made her feel proud of herself and touched that he cared.

When they got out of the Aqua-Line, they were driving into the mountains and all Kagome could do was marvel at how beautiful the sunset looked against the mountains. There was so much greenery out here as opposed to Tokyo. It was beautiful as the sun began to set behind them and threw the clouds and the mountains into an array of colors. Finally, they began to see the Fujimoto's home in the distance.

"Wow…" she said softly. Their home was a sight to behold, and they were still driving there, but against the green landscape and mountainsides, the Fujimoto's home stood out and stood proud. The closer they drove up to it, the more Kagome could marvel at the architecture. It was obvious that Inuyasha's parents were rich and from another era. Their home etched out of stones stood tall, looking like it had at least two stories. Jinenji pulled up onto the long driveway that led to their home and Kagome could see nothing but endless land around their property. There was no fence or gates anywhere, as if they didn't have to keep anyone out. As he drove closer, she could see a line of cars coming up as people waited to be dropped off at the front door. Some cars were leaving while most stayed behind for the night. Kagome moved forward between the two front seats so she could get a better look at the towering home while they waited in line for her turn to get to the front door.

The home was impressive and definitely not of this time period. Made of etched stones, it looked impenetrable but it had many modern feels to it, like the windows and the balconies on the top floor. She noticed that it was only two stories, although it looked much bigger, and there were either balconies or windows along the entire front-facing part of their home. In the middle of the driveway was a roundabout and Kagome saw many cars being valet parked on the side of the home, a little ways from the front so it wouldn't become an eyesore.

"Damn… this is his parent's home?" Jinenji asked gruffly, his knuckles gripping the steering wheel. "Who would've thought he came from a family like this?"

Kagome frowned as she looked towards him, noticing the way he gripped the steering wheel. "I never knew this either." She decided to drop the subject, already feeling uncomfortable being here. She didn't belong here. What was she thinking? There was a part of her that wanted to tell Jinenji to just go around the roundabout and leave. Seeing just the front of his parent's home, she could only imagine what the inside looked like and quite frankly, she didn't really want to. This reminded her too much of her past that she wished to forget.

Jinenji pulled up to the front door and a man in a tuxedo came to her door, opening the door for her and holding his hand out to her. Kagome hesitated. 'I can't!'

"Kagome," Jinenji said, sensing her distress. He turned around, watching her as she gripped at her clutch, her eyes downcast. He knew she was having second thoughts, but he didn't know why. She had been so excited just an hour ago and now she hesitated. No doubt it was because of the money that this place flaunted. Even he was a little uncomfortable here, coming from a poor background and working in a gentlemen's club. This place just screamed 'royalty'. "If you don't want to go, you don't have to."

Kagome bit her bottom lip, leaning more on what Jinenji was saying. 'But… everyone else is here. And this is for Kikyo too. I… I have to go and support her.' Yes. She had to do it for Kikyo, at the least, for giving her this job and congratulating her on her success thus far. If not for herself, then she had to do it for Kikyo. She turned and looked at the short stairs that led up to the double front doors that remained wide open. She gazed down at the hand and took it, feeling the man's hand clasp around hers.

"I'll be fine, Jinenji." She turned her head and ducked when she stepped out and smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll call you if I need you. Thank you."

He smiled at her, watching as she walked towards the front door by herself, a frown settling on his face. He worried about her. He would never stop worrying about her. She was his priority, his one to protect, and right now it looked like she needed protecting from these people. But he had to trust that she would be okay and call him like she said. Staying just a little longer than necessary, Jinenji finally put the car in gear and drove away, looking at the 'castle' in his rearview mirror as he drove back to Tokyo.

Kagome smiled at the two doormen at the doorway who bowed at her as she entered. 'This is way too fancy.' Now she understood why it was a formal event. She walked in and stopped, gaping as she took in the Fujimoto's home. The room looked like a grand living room with ceilings that were too high to estimate but definitely higher than a normal home. A huge chandelier came down from the center of the room with other lights in round glass fixtures that hung down from the ceiling. There were couches and chairs scattered around the room with fur rugs near a huge fire place to the right of the room, currently not burning. The color scheme was neutral and pastel-like, mostly grey and brown, to match the stone walls. 'Wow!'

"If you please," someone said. Kagome turned to see one of the doormen move from the door to escort her to the next room, hearing the echoes of voices coming from somewhere. They walked along the windows facing the driveway while she continued to take in the great living room and saw a grand staircase at the opposite end that led up to the second floor, another chandelier at the top of the fork in the staircase.

She kept looking around, unable to comprehend how much this place must've cost, when she was led into the room next door that was no doubt a great hall. Kagome's eyes widened as this was obviously where the party was. It was decorated with tables that were meant for the guests to sit at towards the front of the room by the stage while there were standing tables near the back, where she was, where people could eat, drink and talk. The room was on one end of the house and the windows along the walls were all opened so that they could take in the fresh mountain air. There were also three huge, double doors that led outside to a balcony she could see across from her. The doorman excused himself and she was left standing there in disbelief, the sound of all the conservations and chatter echoing in the room.

"Kagome!"

She didn't take the time to look for who had called her since she was still taking in the entire room. She looked up and noticed a high ceiling with three chandeliers that lined the ceiling and curtains that hung over the windows, pulled back for the night. At the opposite end from her, the stage was setup with a DJ booth and a few microphone stands with speakers on the bottom of the stage and on stands in ever corner of the room so everyone could hear from the front to the back. The soft melody of piano music floated in the room while the endless sound of conversation echoed louder.

"Kagome!"

She turned this time to see Sango making her way towards her. She blinked a few times, reigning in her shock, before she could smile. It was a relief to see a face that she knew.

"Sango!"

She made her way towards her and smiled at her, looking Sango up and down with wide eyes. Sango wore the light green gown that she said she would earlier today. The gown went just to her ankles to show off her gold high heels and light green toenails. There was a slit on the side of the dress that went up to her knee, but the entire dress was very simple with no design. It was the style that held the beauty. The strapped gown had a front that showed off her cleavage while the back had gold rhinestones that went down the entire length of the zipper. Sango had her hair up in a bun with gold hairpins of sakura in her hair that gave her such a young, but elegant look. 'Gold and green. She looks gorgeous.'

"Wow, Sango. I've never seen you like this before. You look stunning," Kagome said, still taking her in. It was so strange to see her coworker/friend dressed up like this. None of them had ever gone out to a formal event before, at least not while she has been with the group, and it was strange to see Sango so formally dressed up after all their costumes they wore that was a lot more revealing than this.

Sango snickered. "You're one to talk. Kagome… look at you!" Kagome blinked and looked down at herself, wondering what Sango meant. Thanks to Ayumi, she had found a gown that she really loved and hoped to wear more than once. It was a white, fit and flare gown that went down to the floor. The gown was made of silk and she loved the way it felt against her skin, hugging her body from her breasts down to her waist until it flared out loosely. Since it was silk, the way that it flared out made it look chic but also with body to it, and it accentuated her curves and butt. The neckline was strapless, leaving her shoulders bare, while the front was a V-shape, showing off her cleavage but not too low, considering it was a formal event. Around towards the back, the dress dipped a little low in a V-shape to end at the middle of her back. She chose to wear white high heels to match her dress and a white clutch with her phone and apartment keys in it. That was it. A simple, plain, silk dress. She had half of her hair pinned up with white flowers and the rest of it was let down to cover some of her revealing skin. She also wore pearl earrings to match the elegance and her makeup was very neutral for tonight, barely wearing anything besides on her eyes and lips. She had matte nude lipstick with neutral eyes. That was it. The only real color she wore came from her blue hair.

"What do you mean, Sango? I tried not to get anything too fancy," she said, turning side to side so that she could look at herself. "I really didn't know what to wear to a charity event and when you said 'gown', I had to go shopping today to find something that I'd want to wear and when I tried this on, I just had to have it."

Sango giggled, placing her hands up to get Kagome to calm down. "Kagome… I'm not saying anything bad about your look. Girl! You look stunning!" Kagome was taken aback and blushed, looking down.

"You… think so?"

Sango shook her head. "You don't think so?"

Kagome shrugged, looking up at all the other occupants in the room. "I just never wore anything like this before… while going to an event like this before." Nothing at Midnite compared to a dress like this. And to be in this room, in a home that was this grand, with people all dressed up around her, it felt like she was playing the part and the dress made her feel more a part of her environment.

"Wow," Sango said in disbelief, placing her hand on her head. "Well, I gotta say, Kagome. This suits you." Sango took in Kagome's blush and decided to find Inuyasha to show Kagome off to him. She had a wicked thought in mind, wanting her best friend to get a date for tonight. "Come on. Let's find the boys."

Kagome followed Sango through the crowd. There were many people here, all looking polished with obvious deep pockets. The women were dressed in beautiful gowns, some clung like a second skin while others poofed out like Cinderella. Tonight seemed almost like a ball, in her opinion. Kagome smiled at no one in particular but with whomever she met eye contact with to be nice. A few people stopped to stare at her, whispering to each other as she walked by, making her feel a little uncomfortable. 'Calm down, Kagome. You're famous now. They're bound to notice who you are.' That was something that she obviously still wasn't used to. She looked around, noticing how everyone was having a good time, eating, drinking and talking with one another. She smiled, still trying to find out where the gang was.

"Inuyasha!"

Kagome turned when Sango said his name and was struck by the sight of him. She stopped in her steps, feeling like she stopped breathing and her body couldn't move. 'Inuyasha…' He was by far the most handsome man, demon, half-demon, whatever, she has ever seen in her life. And in that instant, she wished he was hers. Even though it might've been because of the physical attraction she was feeling at the moment, she knew deep down that no other man had ever caught her attention like Inuyasha did. And she had met many men. Many men with deep pockets and promises to 'save her' from the life she was dealt. But none of them interested her. She didn't look twice at anyone. Only Inuyasha. He had snuck his way into her heart and was slowly breaking down her walls that she had thought would never come down.

Kagome blinked, taking in the sight of him while he talked with a woman. Inuyasha wore a blood red tuxedo, a bold choice she had to admit, since not everyone could pull off colored suits. But Inuyasha did. From her angle, she could see a black vest peeking out from under his jacket and he had a white dress shirt underneath with a red tie to match his suit. His hair was up in a high ponytail, his bangs making him look more masculine that feminine. Since his hair was up, it showed his masculine jaw and facial features, a face that all woman drooled over. No matter how long his hair was or how he wore it, he would always look like a hot, dangerous and sexy male. Kagome blushed. 'Inuyasha… This can't be happening.' She was falling hard for someone. Her boss, nonetheless.

Inuyasha's ears twitched when he heard his name called and turned his head from his mother as she was deep in a conversation with him about the appetizers for tonight. When he looked, he lost all train of thought and his mother's voice drowned out. Even though there were many people walking around, his eyes immediately locked on to Kagome. Nothing would catch his attention now. His eyes widened and devoured her. She was beyond words. The white gown she wore clung to her curves and flared out just a little past her waist. It looked like a simple gown but on Kagome, she made it look like it was worth a fortune. He took her in, his senses flaring out to find the beat of her heart, to smell her intoxicating scent. His body shook for a second, the desire for her rushing through his blood, his demon calling out to take her and make her his. His mate. He reveled in this feeling, this feeling of longing and of completion, this feeling like he needed Kagome just as much as he needed air.

"Inuyasha…" Someone called his name, a man's voice, but he didn't register who it was. His entire focus was on Kagome. Without another thought, Inuyasha walked towards her, his eyes watching as her tongue came out to wet her lips, the sight intriguing him. He made his way through the crowd, bypassing everyone who tried to greet him, his intention set on her.

"Kagome," he breathed out, coming up to her. She was even more beautiful up close. She wore barely any makeup, her beauty selling itself, and in her hair there looked like small white flowers scattered all over, making her look all the more beautiful.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said softly, trying her best not to lose her composure. It felt like he was looming over her, his dominance and masculinity making her feel soft and feminine. It was almost like her body was becoming submissive, recognizing him and wanting him. She felt her core clench and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She grew hot and could feel herself getting wet at the sight of him so close now, his power over her intoxicating. 'Oh no…' She watched as his ears perked and his nostrils flared, reminding her that he was an inu-hanyou and he could smell her. She gulped, placing her free hand up to her chest, trying to contain her body's reactions to him. It felt impossible when he was just standing there looking at her, his golden eyes so intense, devouring her. She had never seen this look on him before or on any other man in Midnite. This was new to her, but she loved it. It made her feel… wanted.

"Hey. Are you two just going to stare at each other?" Sango asked, crossing her arms with a sly smirk on her face. She knew it. She could see the attraction between them from day one, and it became more obvious after all these months that Kagome had been working with them. Or maybe it was just her intuition, but now Sango was sure of what she thought to be true. The two of them had something for each other. She just wasn't sure if they realized it and acknowledged it because to her knowledge, they were not seeing each other.

Kagome blinked quickly and blushed, looking at Sango next to them, her face knowing and accusing. "Umm… I don't… I'm not…"

Sango arched her eyebrow with a smile, shocked at how flustered Kagome was. She didn't want them to feel awkward around one another for the rest of the night so she decided to cool things off, for a bit. She would have a talk with Kagome later. "Whatever. Inuyasha, I wanted you to introduce Kagome to your parents." Everyone in the group had met the Fujimotos as his parents were very supportive of Inuyasha's desire to dance, so it was only fair for Kagome to meet them, and considering the fact that she was here at their event, it would be rude not to.

Inuyasha blinked, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself for the night. 'Damn… I need to control this.' "Yeah, right. Kagome, let me introduce you to my parents," he said, extending his elbow out towards her, waiting for her to slip her hand into it.

Kagome looked down at his arm, wondering why he was being so formal all of a sudden, a kind of formal that she wasn't used to at all, not in this modern era. But he kept his elbow extended, waiting, and she couldn't deny him. She took hold of his elbow, the two of them smiling at each other before he turned, intending to find his parents.

"Mind introducing us, Inuyasha?"

He didn't have to look far. His parents were behind him. He had sworn that he had left the two of them when he had come to see Kagome. They must've followed him. He nodded at his father's request and turned around, pulling Kagome's hand so that she was a little in front of him, placing his hand on her lower back and staying close to her. It was a subtle but obvious move for any man with eyes. He was staking his claim.

"Father, Mother. This is Kagome. She's our newest member."

His mother smiled with a soft laugh, going forward to embrace Kagome. "Of course she is." Kagome's eyes widened as she was brought into a hug by Inuyasha's mother, not really knowing if she should embrace her back before introductions. But the woman moved back soon enough, not giving her much time to think or react, and she smiled at her.

"It's nice to meet you, Kagome. I've heard a lot about you from Inuyasha." Inuyasha blushed and looked down, catching his mother's attention but she decided not to say anything just yet. "My name is Izayoi. And this is my mate," she said with her hand out, turning as Inuyasha's father came up next to her, smiling at Kagome.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kagome. My name is Inutaisho." She gazed up at him, his deep voice sounding haunting and powerful at the same time. She immediately noticed his demon markings on his cheeks, one purple lightning stripe on each cheek, and a purple crescent moon on his forehead. His eyes were golden just like Inuyasha's, and his hair was long and silver, up in a high ponytail just like Inuyasha's. He wore a white suit with a dark purple vest and a white dress shirt with a purple tie. The resemblance between father and son was strikingly obvious, no doubt Inuyasha was Inutaisho's son. And as Kagome looked at his mother, Izayoi, she could also she her features in him as well. Izayoi had a very sweet and gentle smile, very beautiful and serene. She had long black hair that went down to her knees and her eyes were a beautiful light brown. She wore a sparkling dark purple ballgown that had off the shoulder straps and was form-fitting to her waist before it went out in an A-line skirt. She looked regal and matched her mate's color appropriately.

"It's a pleasure," Kagome said, not knowing what else to say, remembering that this was their home that she was in and she wanted to be as kind and formal as she could. She noticed that Inuyasha's parents must be really rich and used to receiving respect in the way that they carried themselves. "Nice to meet you both."

Sango came up from behind, placing her hand on Kagome's shoulder, trying to ease her nerves. "She's one of our best. I think she's even better than Inuyasha."

"Hey!" Inuyasha said, glancing over at her with a glare.

Sango laughed, making Kagome look at her and then at him, noticing how the mood was lightening up thanks to Sango. She smiled appreciatively, trying to calm her nerves by letting Sango's teasing go on, getting the attention off of her.

"Whatever. You know it's true."

"Is that so?" Izayoi asked, tilting her head to the side. She had a strange look on her face as she tried to assess what Sango was saying, and then burst out laughing as Inutaisho put his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "I can see my son having a huge tantrum at that."

Inuyasha turned his glare on his mother, growling. "Not funny, Mother." She reached towards him, grabbing his hand in both of hers.

"I know, sweetheart. I couldn't help myself. Kagome seemed a bit nervous so making fun of you is the best option to calm her down."

Kagome blushed and turned so that Inuyasha couldn't see her. Sango laughed and smiled at Kagome as the two locked eyes. She winked at her, knowingly, and decided to take her leave.

"Well… I'm going to go look for my boyfriend," she announced, making Kagome give her a pleading look, which Sango decided to totally ignore. "You're going to meet our parents later," she promised, leaving the four of them together to talk.

Kagome glared at Sango as she waltzed away without a care. 'Sango! Damn you!' She turned around and faced Inuyasha's parents, not wanting to be rude but not sure of what to talk about.

"Ummm… you have a lovely home," was all she could think of to say.

Izayoi smiled tenderly at her and moved towards her, grabbing her hand. "Come, let's go help ourselves to some appetizers and a drink. I was just telling Inuyasha how good the appetizers are tonight," she said, leading Kagome away from the men.

Inuyasha watched as his mother took Kagome away, jealous of her stealing Kagome from him. He could feel her anxiousness and wanted to take her outside where she could have some fresh air. Plus, all he wanted to do was be alone with her. The hell with this event. He just wanted her to himself.

"Inuyasha… a word," Inutaisho said. Inuyasha turned and watched his father head towards the balcony doors without looking back at him. He took one last look at Kagome and then turned to follow his father, grabbing a glass of sake from a tray as a waiter walked by. He had a feeling his father wanted him alone to talk about something, no doubt about Kagome. Quite frankly, he needed his father's advice more than anything.

The night air was cool on his face as the rest of his body was covered in this tailored suit. Inuyasha walked towards his father who stood at the edge of the balcony, a very spacious balcony that spanned the entire length of the great hall and could no doubt fit all of the guests of tonight's event. There were three double doors that led outside to the balcony and remained open for the night. The stony columns with its balustrade kept people from falling off while matching the rest of the design of his parent's home. They were always so accustomed to the old-fashioned without a question.

Inutaisho turned to look at Inuyasha when he came up next to him. He didn't look at him but took a sip of his sake while gazing out at the landscape. He smiled, sensing that his son wanted to talk too. He had answers to many of his questions but he needed to ask Inuyasha to be sure because he wasn't sure if his son was ready to acknowledge them. He knew his son more than his son knew himself. So he waited until Inuyasha broke the silence. Standing there together, side by side, there wasn't a doubt that they were related. With only a few different physical features, anyone could tell that they were related, and if Inuyasha's elder brother, Sesshomaru, was here that would be without a doubt a triplet of similarities.

"Father…" Inuyasha started, making Inutaisho smile as he turned to gaze out at the mountains. Inuyasha sighed, taking another sip of his sake, wanting the liquid to burn away his uneasiness now that he stood next to his father. He had wanted to talk to him all this time, and now that he had the opportunity, he was having doubts. He didn't know why he was doubting things when deep down, he knew.

"How did you feel when Sessho's mother died?"

Inutaisho's eyes widened just a bit as he looked ahead at his land, marveling at its beauty while the sky continued to grow darker by the minute. It was now a dusky purple, almost black as the sun was sinking deeper. He thought about it for a moment, thinking of how to respond, but he remembered the feeling as if it was yesterday.

"I felt like I had no purpose in life anymore. Sesshomaru's mother was the reason why I breathed. And when she was murdered by those humans, I could think of nothing more than to get my revenge. And I did." He listened to the wind in the trees, calming his mind, bringing him back to a place of serenity. "But it didn't solve anything. It didn't bring her back. And the pain, the loss that I felt, was still there. I had lost my mate."

Inuyasha nodded, frowning as he looked down at his mother's garden that she had planted outside of the hall. She loved flowers and over the many years of their living, she had been planting and growing these flowers into a beautiful and lush garden with many shades of colors, shapes and sizes. She wanted the garden right outside of the hall where visitors may be able to enjoy their beauty in the same way she did every day. It was her gift to her guests. She had such a pure heart.

"And Mother? What did you feel when you met her?"

Inutaisho closed his eyes, smiling. "Peace."

Inuyasha turned to look at his father briefly before looking back out at the garden. 'Peace?'

"Your Mother was a balm to my soul, especially during a time when I needed it the most and when I thought I hated all humans. Yes, I would say that when I first saw her, my demon blood called out to its mate and I knew she would be mine," he said with a tender smile. "But your Mother… when I first met her in that human village, it was her scent that told me she would be mine when I never thought I would ever find love and peace again in this lifetime." Inutaisho looked out at his mate's flower garden that looked like fields of flowers of all different colors. She had no intention of making it in any grand way. She just wanted to plant the flowers that she wanted and it ended up being separated like fields of the same species. Then, she began to plant some shrubs down the path so that people wouldn't unintentionally step on the flower fields. Now, it looked like an architect's beautiful design with fields of different colors and with his keen eyesight, he could see every petal, every vein of the leaves of the flowers. They were beautiful, just like his mate. "Scent is always the first way we know anything, Son. Our sense of smell is extraordinarily strong and we rely on it the most, over our sense of sight and touch. Our demon blood knows first before our thinking brain does. It is our animal instincts that recognizes our other half before we even realize it."

Inuyasha nodded his head, lost in thought as he looked up, noticing the stars coming out against the darkened sky. "It's exactly what happened with Kagome." Inutaisho side-eyed his son but said nothing, waiting in silence. He went back to looking at the flowers, having all the time in the world for Inuyasha to open up, and his sons knew how persistent his patience could be. After centuries of living, he had enough patience to make his sons impatient.

"When I first saw her at her audition," Inuyasha confessed, "her scent was the first thing that I noticed. My demon blood roared and pounded in my ears and I had this urge to find her and take her. Almost like she was mine before I even thought about it." Inuyasha chuckled, taking the last sip of his drink and placing the glass down. "At first, I couldn't figure out what it was about her that I craved. I even got off on someone else thinking about her."

"Too much information, Son," Inutaisho warned.

"But I couldn't stop thinking about her," Inuyasha continued. "And when I'm with her, I just want to be around her." He stopped, thinking about that time in Hawai'i when they had that little talk in the elevator and when he had been a little too harsh on her. He could sense that he had hurt her but he had been so irritated with himself, with his desire to be with her, and with her being the way she was, that he took it out on her when he shouldn't have. "When we were in Hawai'i, I found her crying in her bathroom. She was broken. And everything in me was shattered. I felt like everything in me needed to comfort her and to destroy whatever it was that had hurt her." He suppressed a growl, his demon rising to the challenge of a threat to Kagome.

"A threat?" Inutaisho asked softly, now deadly curious as to who would want to hurt his son's mate, sensing the change in Inuyasha as well.

Inuyasha looked at his father, sensing his change in mood too, and smirked, glad that his father felt the same way. "She hasn't told me yet. But I'll find out. This was why I was so irritated with her, even before we left for Hawai'i. She doesn't share things with me about herself or her past. She's just so closed off that I feel I can never catch her. But sometimes… sometimes she does. She lets me in."

Inutaisho nodded his understanding. "Well, I would suggest that if she won't open up first, then you should. Make her feel comfortable enough to trust you."

Inuyasha turned to his father, crossing his arms. "Look at you, Father. Always teaching me, huh?"

"It's my job, Son, even after centuries of dealing with you," he said with a laugh. Inuyasha arched his eyebrow at his father but chose to ignore him, the two of them enjoying each other's company. Inuyasha was just glad he could share this with his father and get some advice. He needed it.

"Seeing her tonight… I know now that what you feel for Mother is what I feel for Kagome."

Inutaisho smiled, closing his eyes. "I know."

"Huh? What do you mean, you know?"

Inutaisho chuckled, shaking his head as he turned towards Inuyasha. "Son, I knew you claimed her as your mate the moment you laid eyes on her tonight. It was there for all youkai to sense- in the way your aura changed, the way you looked at her and the way you left your mother and I after she was talking to you. I taught you to always respect your Mother, but when you totally ignored the two of us and went to Kagome, I knew that you had chosen her instinctually. You might not know it yet," he said, tapping his index finger to his temple, "But your demon knows it," he said, now tapping his finger to the middle of his chest. "I have never seen you act this way for anyone. Not even for Kiyomi."

Inuyasha flattened his ears and turned back to plant his palms on the railing, staring at his mother's garden to think of something else besides that woman. "No… not even her."

Inutaisho nodded, turning at the sound of footsteps. He watched as his mate along with Kagome and Sango walk out towards them, all three of them holding glasses and plates in their hands, enjoying themselves. He smiled at Izayoi, her beauty glowing, thinking of how lucky he was to have her. "Listen, Son. Your Mother and I just want you to be happy. Now that I see your demon claiming a mate… don't let your human side overthink this. Let your instincts guide you. And let your human heart guide you. If she's the one you want…" He had a long enough pause for Inuyasha to turn and look at him for a moment, but then turned to meet the women as they approached. "Then make her yours," Inutaisho said softly but knowing his son could hear him, reaching out his hand as Izayoi took it. "I see you three had fun at the food table," he teased his mate.

Izayoi smiled and gave him her plate, coming to stand next to him and placing her hand in the crook of his elbow. "You know me, darling. I have big eyes."

Sango nodded her head, stuffing sashimi into her mouth. "The food is delicious, Inutaisho. I love the dessert table too. I left Miroku there to grab me one of everything."

Kagome laughed, standing next to her with a shake of her head. "Poor Miroku. He must have five plates in his hands by now. We should go see if he needs help." She looked at Inuyasha and met his eyes, suddenly feeling very exposed. 'Well… I am wearing this strapless gown,' she reminded herself, though it wasn't the lack of clothing that made her feel exposed. The look he was giving her was as if he was seeing into her. He seemed… different. She looked between Inutaisho and Inuyasha, wondering what happened while she was gone.

"Hey!" Miroku said, calling to them from the doorway. "The event is starting! Come sit down, everyone."

Everyone looked towards him and began to head back inside. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha as he came up to her with a smile, arching his eyebrow at her. "Hungry?"

Kagome arched her eyebrow back at him. "I'm surprised I haven't seen you eat anything yet. You're usually eating Yura Yura out of business." He chuckled and extended his elbow out to her, waiting for her to take him as her escort. Kagome flushed. He was so old-fashioned, she never would've imagined that the Inuyasha she knew was also so other worldly. She gazed up at him, suddenly feeling very shy. She bit her bottom lip, gazing down at his lips, parting her own.

"We need to go inside and sit," Inuyasha said, breaking the silence. "Kikyo might have a fit if I'm not there," he said with a roll of his eyes. Kagome smirked, nodding her head. She brought her hand that held her glass of red wine up and over his arm, letting him escort her back into the party. The MC was already on stage addressing the crowd and inviting everyone to the Fujimoto's charity event that also was a celebration for Kikyo's success.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The guests were on their feet as Kikyo was welcomed up on stage, taking the microphone from the MC as she went to the middle of the stage. Kikyo wore a beautiful light pink ball gown that had a sweetheart neckline with off the shoulder straps. Her hair was up in a bun with her signature pink butterfly clip holding it in place.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming this evening to the Fujimoto's charity event. And thank you, Inutaisho and Izayoi, for recognizing me during this event," she said, finding them at the first table in the front row. Between the front tables and the stage was a small dance floor for later on in the evening. Izayoi and Inutaisho smiled at her and nodded, accepting her thanks. At their table, Inuyasha sat next to Kagome along with his brother and his brother's mate. She looked over at the table next to the Fujimotos where she sat with Miroku and Sango along with their parents. "Thank you to everyone who has supported me since the beginning."

Kagome smiled, listening to the happiness in Kikyo's voice and how beautiful she looked on stage in her pink gown, marveling at the thought of how far she must've come to get here. 'Wow… all this time. I guess if you keep at your dreams, they will someday come true,' she thought with a smile, so happy for Kikyo.

"Four years ago, myself, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango all decided to chase after our dreams. They wanted to dance and I wanted to sing and they became my first dancers. And for the past four years, my songs have been on the Billboard's Japan Hot 100 charts. After my concert in Hawai'i, my best-selling song 'Who's Got You?' has been on the Billboard's Hot 100 list at number thirteen, climbing three spots since the concert! It also put me on the iTunes Top 10 songs and the Top 10 albums for almost four weeks in a row now. I've gained international recognition and I'm only going to continue striving higher." Everyone applauded for her as she smiled, pausing and bowing every so often to thank them. "I also want to announce that my first big concert in Japan will be in a month from now in Osaka." The crowd began to clap again at the big news, cheering on her success

Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha, clapping for Kikyo. "Did you know?"

Inuyasha made a face and shook his head. "Nope. I'm sure she just found out. She usually can't keep secrets, especially something like that." He clapped for Kikyo as well and Kagome turned to look back at her, smiling in excitement. 'More concerts!'

"I'm really hoping that this concert will be a huge success just like in the states. People haven't seen me do something this big here in Japan before, and with all the media attention these past two weeks, I think it's time to turn the heat up!" Kikyo paused again as everyone cheered for her. "If you would like to attend my concert in Osaka, please visit Ticketmaster where you can purchase a ticket. But again, thank you all for acknowledging me and my success. I've worked hard these past few years, and so has Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango," she said, looking down at the three as she called them out. "They have been with me since the beginning and I am grateful for each of them." The three of them smiled at her, silently thanking her. "And to all my dancers, I'm grateful to all of you for helping me in my success. I appreciate you all. Last thing, I also plan on releasing a music video in a couple of weeks before the concert so keep an eye out for that. But again, thank you everyone! And have a great night!"

Everyone stood for her as she waved, handing the microphone back to the MC and bowing towards the audience one last time before she head off stage, going back to her table with the others. The MC began to talk about the charity auction that would now take place. Kagome turned to Inuyasha, needing to make an exit before the MC started talking again.

"Where's the bathroom?" she asked Inuyasha softly, making him smile at her.

"Want me to show you?"

She gave him a look. "No."

He chuckled and turned in his seat so he could point behind him. "Back where you came from, go to the opposite end of the house, past the front door. There's bathrooms for men and women in the corner."

"Thanks," she said, excusing herself as she stood, but in the process making all the men at the table stand for her as well. Inuyasha, his brother and his father all stood.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered, beat red.

Inuyasha smiled and leaned down towards her ear. "It's just a courtesy thing. Something my Father always instilled in his children." Kagome refused to look at anyone and excused herself again, turning another shade of red as she made her way to the side of the room so she didn't have to snake her way through the tables of people. She walked alongside the food tables against the wall and made her way towards the back entrance, heading back into the great room.

When she found her way to the bathroom, she was in awe at the size of the bathroom inside of someone's home. The floors were made of marble with marble sinks and marble bathroom stalls. There were only three stalls but still, this was a fancy bathroom for a guest bathroom in a home. She sighed since she noticed she was the only one in there and headed into an open stall.

"What are you doing, Kagome?" she asked herself, doing her business. "And what was that about?" She would've never thought Inuyasha to be that old-fashioned. His father, yes. Maybe his brother, yes, though she was only given a quick introduction to him and his mate. But Inuyasha? Never. Standing when a woman stood to leave a table was old-fashioned, something she thought as an English thing, not something Japanese or anyone practiced, especially in this day and age. 'How old is he?' she wondered now, thinking him to look young, possibly her age in the late 20's, early 30's maybe.

Once she finished her business and washed her hands, checked her makeup and dress, she headed back out. As she came out of the bathroom, she looked down the hall on the opposite side of the first floor of the home. The hall went down the entire length of the house with some doors along the way and huge floor to ceiling windows. She shook her head, thinking about the value of this house. Kagome made it back to the great hall and noticed the MC on stage with some items, most of it being paintings or antiques of all shapes and sizes.

"Now… we have a massage for two at the Tokyo Station Hotel."

Kagome smiled to herself and headed for the dessert table, wanting to stand for a bit and watch the action unfold as she has never been to an auction before. She grabbed one of the small plates and picked out three cute desserts that looked like little cakes- one pink, one green and one white. They were simply decorated to catch the eye. She smiled to another woman at the dessert table and walked back to the standing tables in the back of the room, heading for an empty table to enjoy her plate of cakes. There were a few people standing at the back tables, enjoying their drinks and light conversations. She watched the auction commence as people began to raise up their paddles and shout the amounts they were willing to pay for the massage. It was quite fascinating and amusing to watch these rich people just spend their riches on something so unessential, but she appreciated their heart to do this so that the money could go to charity. She thought back to the time when she was on the receiving end of these people's charity, although she never got it, she still would've been qualified to receive this money being auctioned off in front of her. She was too caught up in her past to notice someone come up next to her and join her at the table.

"Sapphire."

Immediately she snapped out of her thoughts, a chill running down her spine as she looked to see a man dressed in a dark grey suit with a dark blue tie. Her eyes widened as she recognized him.

"Hiroshi?"

He smiled at her, his black eyes warm and welcoming. "I'd never thought I'd see you here."

She was rooted to her spot, a feeling of dread came over her as she wondered what to do now that one of Midnite's clients was here, and calling her by her pet name nonetheless. Her eyes darted around, noticing the silver heads that were still up front and no one she knew was close by, before quickly looking back at him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the balcony doors, slipping out. Thankfully, there was only a couple outside at the opposite end, leaning against the stone balustrade as they watched the MC on stage.

She pulled Hiroshi out towards the edge, releasing him and turning around to stare at him in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I know the Fujimotos through our business together. Are you here because of Kikyo?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. Kikyo's here to be acknowledged and Inuyasha had invited all of us to come and support her. And don't call me by my pet name," she said softly, not wanting anyone to hear. She remembered how well Inuyasha's hearing was and there were probably other demons here too with great hearing. It made her even more paranoid.

"Well I didn't remember your name so I could only call you by what I know," he whispered back. He ran a hand through his hair, placing his hand on his hips. "There's a lot of us here, you know."

Her eyes widened. "From Midnite?"

Hiroshi nodded his head, giving her a tolerant look. "Sa… what is your name?"

"Kagome."

He sighed with a smile, shaking his head. "Kagome. It's a beautiful name. There's a few of us here who do business with or know the Fujimotos. I'm sure many of us at Midnite know the Fujimotos or have some sort of business with them. They are one of the most powerful families in all of Japan."

"Oh my gosh…" she moaned, turning from him to place her palms down on the balustrade. 'What do I do?' There were clients here from Midnite who would no doubt ruin her cover if they were to approach her. Her mind was racing, trying to think of a way for it to work. Her two worlds were colliding.

"Hey, Kagome," Hiroshi said, coming up to stand next to her. "Don't worry. We all signed the contract. We know not to invade your privacy, especially outside of Midnite."

"Then why did you?" she asked, maybe a little too harshly, turning to look at him. She didn't understand his motive for approaching her just now or what he wanted from her outside of the services at Midnite. But she needed him to stay away from her friends and from Inuyasha.

Hiroshi sighed, placing a hand down on the stone and one hand up to his head, closing his eyes. "I just… wanted to say 'hi', that's all. It's nice to see you outside of Midnite… like this. To see you being yourself." He opened his eyes and smiled at her, bowing slightly at the waist. "I'll take my leave then. You have a good night, Kagome." He turned and headed back inside the hall, heading to a table that she couldn't see.

Now she felt horrible for being so rude to him. It was just a shock that someone she knew from Midnite would be here where both of her lives will now be intermingling. Kagome stayed outside a little longer, too afraid to go back in and be recognized by the clients that were here. What could she do? She thought about ditching the event, calling Jinenji and heading home. But her clutch and phone was back at the table and no doubt Inuyasha would ask where she was heading to now. Either way, she had to go back inside to do anything. Standing out here was cowardly and foolish, and not solving anything. A smell caught her attention on the wind and she turned around to see a huge garden below with flowers of all sorts of colors. Her eyes widened in shock, missing it entirely when she had first dragged Hiroshi out here.

'A garden?' From what she could make out using the lights coming from inside the hall, it was a huge garden with fields of flowers and shrubs. She couldn't tell what was in it since the night here in the countryside was a lot darker than being in the city where there were lights everywhere. Kagome sighed, knowing she had to go back inside and face whatever came at her. She just needed to focus on the positive and try to pretend that she didn't know the clients, even if they would come up to her. She only hoped that they would keep their end of the contract. She turned and walked back into the hall, noticing that her plate was still there and that no one had made use of the table. She walked over and grabbed her plate, picking up one of the cakes and eating it, completely oblivious to the two men who walked by, watching her with knowing eyes. She smiled to herself and moaned, tasting the green tea flavor of the cake. 'Ooooo this is good.'

"There you are," Inuyasha said as he made his way to stand next to her. She turned to smile at him, chewing her food, as he tilted his head in wonder and amusement. "Dessert?"

Kagome giggled, swallowing. "Yeah. I'm a dessert girl."

"Is that so? What's your favorite dessert?"

She shrugged as he got comfortable, leaning his forearms on the table and watched her, his golden eyes a stark contrast to his red suit. He was truly handsome. "I don't have one." She turned to look out at the MC still talking on the stage, auctioning off more things. 'How long is this part?' she wondered, though she knew this was the whole point of the night. It was a charity event.

Inuyasha smirked and looked ahead, following her eyesight. "You're bored."

Kagome moaned, looking down at her food and picking up the pink cake this time, showing it to him teasingly. "Nope. I'm stuffing my face and keeping busy," she said, opening her mouth and placing the cake inside. She moaned and did a little side-to-side shimmy at the flavor of the strawberry cake and giggled when he watched her, his face soft and amused.

She couldn't help herself. She reached out and ran her fingers through his bangs, his eyes going wide for a moment and then soft as he stared at her, making her blush. "Sorry… I couldn't resist." Ever since the two of them had been dancing together, she has been a lot more open and touchy with him, comfortable with him now, which might be to a fault. She licked her lips and Inuyasha's eyes followed her movements, staring at her mouth. She flushed, turning to look back at the MC, wondering how to change the subject.

"You know… we could just leave here if you're bored." Inuyasha had no problem taking her somewhere private where he could be alone with her. He wanted to touch her again, to kiss her again and hold her. And now that she was here, at his parent's home, he felt like they were getting intimately closer, especially now that she met his parents and he was able to talk to his father about his feelings towards her. That helped to solidify his thoughts and his emotions.

Kagome smiled at him, giving him a knowing look. "I don't think your parents would be very happy if you left."

"Meh," he said with a shrug, moving to stand up. "They wouldn't care. They know I don't like these sort of things anyway. It's too boring for me."

"Unless you're at it with someone who makes it fun," she suggested, popping the last cake into her mouth, chewing on it thoughtfully. "Vanilla!" He laughed, shaking his head at her playfulness and her way of brightening his mood no matter the situation.

"Hey guys." The two of them turned to see Miroku and Sango walking up to them with their parents in tow. Kagome smiled, a little exhausted now, having to meet everyone's parents in one night, and not to mention seeing Hiroshi and knowing that more of the clients were here. On top of that, seeing everyone with their parents only made her ache for her own, which brought a pain to her chest, nearly knocking air out of her lungs as she hasn't thought about her parents in years.

"Kagome," Sango said, calling her out of her darkened thoughts. "I want you to meet my parents." She grabbed her mother's arm, smiling at Kagome. "This is my mother, Chiharu, and my father," she said, motioning to her father standing on the other side of her mother, "Toshiro."

Kagome bowed to them both. "It's nice to meet you both."

Chiharu waved her hand dismissively. "It's nice to meet you, Kagome. We've heard a lot about you. Sango has talked about your talents a lot since you started with the group," she complimented, only making Kagome blush.

Toshiro chuckled, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Enough, dear. You're making her nervous." The two of them looked young and in love. Toshiro wore a black and white suit, only making his youthful appearance seem so mature and manly. His hair was tied back in a low ponytail and his face had a soft appearance, making her wonder how good of a father he was to Sango since his appearance seemed so kind. She smiled at him, grateful to meet him.

"Kagome," Miroku said, moving to bring both of his parents on either side of him. "This is my mother, Sachi, and my father, Hirohito."

"Nice to meet you both," she said, bowing again. These two also looked young and Miroku's mother was very beautiful. She had long, black hair that went down to her knees while wearing a yellow gown that wasn't tight on her but still flattered her figure. She had such a soft, child-like face that only made her seem all the more innocent and beautiful.

"It's nice to meet you too, Kagome," Sachi said, clasping her hands together in front of her. "I love your hair. You are very beautiful."

Kagome nearly laughed but held it in, wondering what it was about tonight that made everyone be so forth-coming with their compliments. She didn't know if it was just a formality thing or if it was the truth. "Thank you," she said quickly before she seemed rude.

"I heard that you will be staying with the group," Hirohito mentioned, watching her nod. "Perhaps we all can go have dinner one night with Inuyasha's and Kikyo's parents as well, and of course, your parents too, Kagome. All of our families go back a few years and we've become good friends. It'll be fun to get to know each other."

"You mean get to know her," Inuyasha said, already knowing everyone here at the table. His history with the Takenakas and the Yamashitas went back four years, ever since he met Miroku, Sango and even Kikyo at one of his parent's charity events. They had been new to that charity and it was the first time Inuyasha had ever met them, and since they all had a common interest in music, they hit it off on that first night. That was what started their friendship, and inevitably their parents' friendships too.

Hirohito smiled at him and nodded. "Yes. We would love to get to know you and your family, Kagome."

Kagome frowned, nodding her head. 'A dinner? With family?' She didn't have any family. And she feared that being around these people for too long, with their happy faces and perfect lives, that she would start to get bitter and heartbroken. She didn't want to go down that rabbit hole again and dig up the graves of her past. She left all that behind nine years ago but she had never been around such loving families before that it was really stirring up unwelcome feelings and memories. But Hirohito was so nice, and the thought did seem intriguing, for a moment.

"Ummm… I don't have family here," she said softly, looking down at her hands. Everyone remained quiet, looking at one another as they tried to figure out what to say.

Inuyasha frowned, sensing her distress and sadness, that didn't bode well with him. "Hey, we can just plan to have a dinner then," he reasoned, not wanting her to feel sad. "Let's just see how our schedules open up now that Kikyo has this next concert in Osaka and then we all can plan one night to have dinner together. Maybe as a post-concert celebration."

Kagome looked up at him, trying to feel happy about it. "Okay." Even though the thought of not wanting to go was still in her mind, she couldn't help but feed off of Inuyasha's thoughtfulness.

Sango thought to cheer Kagome up, changing the conversation. "Have you tried the desserts again, Kagome?"

Kagome gave her a look. "Of course I did." They all laughed, looking towards the dessert table to see some people there helping themselves. The sound of the MC's voice rang through the room, reminding them that the auction was still happening.

"We'd better get back," Chiharu said, looking at her husband. "I did want to enter the auction for something so we can give to the charity." Toshiro nodded his agreement and said their goodbyes to everyone as they made their way back to the front tables.

"We should go too," Sachi said, smiling one last time at Kagome. "It was really nice meeting you, Kagome. I hope that the concert in Osaka goes well for you all." Kagome smiled in thanks as she and Hirohito left the four of them at the table.

"Well… I think I'm going to go help myself to some desserts since Kagome started without me," Sango said with a pout, giving Kagome the cold-shoulder.

Kagome snickered. "You were too slow. I went to use the bathroom and just ended up here," she said, laughing now that she said it out loud, making Sango giggle.

"I probably would've done the same thing." She looked at Miroku. "Want anything?"

"You guys go," Inuyasha said, turning to look at Kagome, reaching out his hand. "Come. I want to show you something."

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking out at the audience who was now laughing and clapping for someone who won an item. The audience was all into the auction, some people taking the chance to grab more food and others taking the opportunity to get a bathroom break. Kagome looked back towards Inuyasha, thinking it would be better to go with him since this just wasn't her scene. "Okay." She placed her hand in his and let him lead her out of the room and out of the house while Sango and Miroku just watched them leave, looking at each other knowingly. Sango couldn't contain her excitement as she grabbed onto Miroku's arm and the two of them walked over to the dessert table.

Inuyasha brought Kagome around towards the side of the house, where his mother's garden was located, beneath the balcony of the hall. He walked slowly, knowing that she had heels on and they were walking on grass. He kept looking at her and asking if she was okay in those heels, but she assured him she was fine, so they kept going until he brought her out to the full view of his mother's garden.

Kagome gasped, making him turn around to take in her stunned expression. "Inuyasha…" she whispered, speechless. He dropped her hand as she walked past him slowly, her eyes wide in disbelief and awe at the beautiful flowers that she could see. The lights from above were spilling out over the garden, making it easier for her to see the flowers from here than it was from up on the balcony.

She made her way out into the light and went to the outer border of shrubs that protected the garden and went up to the waist so one could see the garden without having to enter. She could tell that the garden was tended to everyday as the shrubs were neatly trimmed and the fields of flowers were beautifully kept. She admired Izayoi's taste and style. Kagome beamed and walked towards the wooden archway that had vines with pink jasmine entwined all over the sides and the top. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as the sweet jasmines filled the air, and then she walked in. There was all sorts of floral smells that weren't overwhelming, but instead complimented each other. Her feet moved along the grass slowly, her eyes taking in the fields all around her. Every flower field was of one species, growing in their own patch and weeded out so that it was just the beautiful flowers thriving on their own. They were also in a depression below the ground level of all the paths to help contain the water within the field. It was so beautiful and thought-out.

Kagome couldn't believe how peaceful it felt here, especially in the countryside where only the mountains and the stars surrounded her. Her feet took her where her nose could smell her favorite flower. She passed by fields of daisies, one field of white and one field of pink. On the opposite side was a field of spider lilies and a field of sumire, beautiful violets planted in rows. She continued, passing by fields of sakurasou that resembled the sakura flower, asagao that were blue morning glories, white and yellow kiku or chrysanthemums and several fields scattered throughout that were not in bloom. And then she saw them, fields of jasmine on either side of the path. Her smile got bigger, unable to contain her excitement, and she made her way down one of the smaller paths that split two fields apart.

"Jasmines!" she exclaimed, gathering up her dress as she squatted down, reaching out to touch the petals of one of the flowers. The smell was sweet and intoxicating, her favorite flower in the world, having a special place in her heart since she was young. She smiled, looking up when she finally noticed Inuyasha as he stood on the main center path. He had his hands in his pockets watching her, smiling.

"Jasmines are my favorite," she told him, looking back down at the many blossoms that littered the field. "Sometimes… my father would give me a jasmine… and it meant the world to me."

Inuyasha could hear and sense her change in mood. Sadness and grief overwhelmed her, making him wonder what happened with her parents and where they were. Back in the great hall, Kagome had mentioned that she didn't have any family. 'What did she mean?' Everyone has family. Everyone is born from someone, from family. The fact that she claims she doesn't have a family and now she was sad talking about her father really disturbed him, and he wanted to find out more about her past. "Take it."

She glanced at him, forgetting her thoughts and shaking her head. "I can't."

Inuyasha chuckled, waving a hand. "Kagome. My Mother has jasmines in fields and even on the archways at the entrances, and some of them bloom year round. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if one blossom was missing," he pointed out. She stared at him for a moment, biting her bottom lip before looking at the jasmine again. He was right, and if he was giving her permission, she really wanted to take one. Maybe Izayoi wouldn't mind.

Kagome plucked the flower and stood, letting her gown fall back down to the grass. She brought the flower to her nose, closing her eyes to savor the scent, a fragrance that reminded her so much of her past that it hurt her heart. But she loved this flower with all her heart. It was a bittersweet blossom. She turned and walked back towards Inuyasha on the center path, smiling up at him. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

There was a moment where he hesitated, simply gazing into her blue eyes, and finding her too hard to resist. With the flowers around them and her beauty surpassing them all, Inuyasha wanted her more than ever. And he couldn't help himself. He moved forward, stepping towards her and bent down, making her eyes widen as they kept staring at each other, giving her time to pull away. He watched as her shock faded to acceptance and she closed her eyes, allowing him to seal his lips over hers. She placed her hand on his chest and leaned into his kiss, the two of them savoring this quiet moment they had together. It was different this time. This time they weren't at work or at the studio. They were at his parent's home, in a private yet public setting, and they were alone in a field of flowers. As romantic as that sounded, Inuyasha didn't plan to bring her here to set the mood up. He thought to bring her here because he wanted to make her smile after it seemed like she was getting quite bored and uncomfortable with the auctions. He just wanted to make her happy, even if it was for a moment. But he didn't think that this would happen, again. Inuyasha brought his hands out of his pockets and wrapped them around her, bringing her tight against his body. He marveled at how perfectly she fit against him, how it made him feel right to have her body against his, he felt complete. He brought his hands up so that he could run his hands against the skin of her back, licking her lips and darting his tongue into her mouth the moment she opened for him. Kagome moaned, clutching at the flower against her chest while her breasts tightened against the silk of her dress. She was hyperaware that she didn't have a bra on, the material of her dress against her breasts lighting a fire in her core.

Inuyasha growled, the sound feeding that fire, making her lose all train of thought. Oh, the things he could do with his mouth. She was lost as she could only feel, the way his hands moved along her back and the way his body was so strong and hard against her soft one. He was the opposite of her and it felt like he completed her. Her hand against his chest went up slowly, tentative and shy, until she was able to wrap her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him lower so that they deepened the kiss. Inuyasha… what was he doing to her?

He pulled back, looking down at Kagome. She was breathing hard, her heartbeat racing, as her blue eyes gazed up at him, dark and sultry. He smiled down at her, kissing the top of her forehead. "Sorry… wasn't expecting that."

Kagome shook her head as he moved back, releasing her. Immediately she felt the loss, the cold that hit her deeper than the temperature. "Don't apologize." What else was she supposed to say? She didn't regret kissing him, not now and not the other times before. Quite honestly if she could, she would love to be with him. But… she couldn't. She couldn't be with anyone.

"So… your father used to give you jasmines?" Inuyasha asked, needing to change the subject into something lighter. He placed his hands back in his pockets and put some distance between them, moving to walk to the other side of the path to give her a little space, but mostly for himself. He would soon not be able to control himself around her if they kept this up. His demon was demanding more of her, his mate, and his human side craved that physical bond with a woman. But moreso, it was his heart that really wanted, craved, that bond with another heart. The more he listened to his demon and the emotions warring within him, the more Kagome was proving to be more of a need than just a physical lust.

Kagome nodded her head, looking around again at the flowers, knowing that their time here would end eventually. She probably wouldn't come back again. His parents were too rich and in a different social group, way different social group from her. "Yes," she nodded. "When I was young, sometimes my father would give me a jasmine that grew in one particular area of our town. It meant a lot to me because it meant that he remembered me."

Inuyasha's ears flicked, her words causing something in him to react. "He remembered you?" Whatever she meant by that, it caused her to turn inwards and he worried that she wouldn't tell him. All he wanted was for her to open up to him. Why couldn't she trust him? She trusted him more and more with her body. Why couldn't she trust him with her past? "What do you mean, Kagome?"

Kagome frowned, her memories creeping up on her, drowning her in the past.

"Daddy!" Kagome yelled, waving as she noticed her father walking towards her. She jumped off the wall she was sitting on and ran to meet him. She missed him. It had been days since she had seen her mother and father, and she had been looking for them on the streets. She knew the spots they would frequently visit for drugs and so those were always her first stops, but none of the drug dealers had seen her parents in days. However, Kagome would always find them somehow, or they would always find her. Even if it took several days before she reunited with them, she always did. And when she did, she was just grateful that they were still alive.

"Ah, Kagome." Her father went to his knees slowly, obviously in pain, but smiled welcomingly at her as she ran into his arms. Her mother stood behind him with a smile, trying to straighten her hair even though she had dark circles under her eyes. "My… you've been waiting long?"

Kagome reared back with her toothless smile, shaking her head. "No." When, really, she had been alone and looking for them for five days.

"Well… guess what I have for you?"

Kagome gasped, squealing, knowing what her father got her. "A jasmine?!"

He smiled tenderly at her and nodded, showing her the white jasmine in his hand.

She was silent for a while, wondering whether or not to tell Inuyasha. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, he was the only man she trusted with her body and her heart. Dare she even say, she trusted him more than she trusted Onigumo. But he didn't know her. Onigumo did. And Onigumo still loved her no matter where she came from and what she was. Inuyasha, however… she feared him finding out more than anything. She feared him rejecting her.

But he waited. He didn't say a word, he simply stared at her, his face sad and his golden eyes pleading her, almost as if he was begging her to tell him. 'Inuyasha…' He deserved to know. He was the only man she allowed into her heart, so if he was going to break it, she would like to be in control of some of the reasons why he would break her heart.

"Inuyasha…" She couldn't bare to look at him so she turned, staring up at the thousands of stars above, smiling at their simple beauty. "Sometimes I wouldn't see my parents for days. When I was a child, I would go around town looking for them, worried that they had overdosed and had left me alone, even though I already was alone." She turned to look at him, his face unreadable, but she smiled as if answering a question he was sure to ask. "My parents were drug addicts." She looked back up at the stars, thinking of her parents when she hadn't thought of them for years. The emotions, however, she couldn't connect with as she had lost any and all feelings for her parents a long time ago. She still loved them, she always would, even though they had done horrible things to her. She could never bring herself to hate them. But, she couldn't find it within herself to care about them anymore.

"Sometimes they would go on binges and I wouldn't see them for days, at the most, two weeks. As a child, I didn't know what to do without my parents so I had to learn fast and I had to learn the hard way. I got by with stealing food and living on the streets or in abandoned houses. There was always somewhere where I could lay my head, but not everywhere was safe." She frowned, turning her attention back to the fields of flowers, needing to stop her mind from going so deep into her past.

"When I did find my parents or when they found me…" she said with a sad smile, closing her eyes, "My father would always have a jasmine for me. It made me happy because as a child, I thought it was my father's way of telling me he loved me. And it was obvious that he remembered me after his binge since he went out of his way to find the flower for me. So of course, that meant he loved me, right?" She turned to look at Inuyasha, as if she was expecting an answer, and frowned when she did.

He stood there, as unmoving as a statue, his eyes were hard and his face was unreadable, but it frightened her a little. He was silent but his silence and his looks made it look like he wanted to kill something.

"Inuyasha?" She turned and made her way to him, wanting him to understand that it was her past. "My parents' actions are theirs to bear…"

"They should've protected you," he said softly, menacingly. His interruption gave her pause as his voice was dark and deep, sending a chill up her spine. She watched him, the way his eyes changed and his fists clenched in his pockets. His ears were pinned against his head, looking like he wanted to hurt someone. 'Is he… is he angry for me?'

"They were your parents, Kagome," Inuyasha continued. "They should've protected you." He was shaking with rage and trying to control himself and his demon before he did something that he would regret. It also shook him at how quickly he reacted, how his emotions got the best of him when Kagome spoke about her past. He understood that he couldn't change Kagome's past. But right now, he wished that her father was here so that he could tear the man to pieces. Who would leave a child alone on the streets for days to fend for themselves while they got high? That enraged him.

Kagome felt the need to make him understand, not to defend what her parents did, by far she would never defend them for their actions, but to ease his anger. She reached out and placed her hands on either side of his face, staring into his eyes. "Inuyasha. The past is the past. I am now a stronger person because of it."

"Doesn't excuse them for what they did. If your father was here…" He didn't want to finish that sentence before he frightened her.

Kagome smiled softly at him. "I know. But… my father is dead. You lost your opportunity a long time ago. And my mother… well… she'll probably get hers one day." She dropped her hands and was about to move back when he reached out and grabbed her, hugging her tight against him. She was shocked at first, wondering why he was hugging her. "Inuyasha?"

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Kagome." 'I should've been there for you.' That was his only thought. He was alive, he was in this world, and he hadn't know about her until now. He should've been there for her, to protect her from her dead-beat parents who didn't give a damn about their own daughter.

"Inu… yasha?" Kagome didn't understand why he felt the need to apologize, almost like he blamed himself. But his words struck a cord in her that she didn't realize she craved. He apologized for the horrible childhood she had, and even though he really didn't understand what those words meant, it meant the world to her. If only he knew the extent of what happened in her childhood. But none of it was his fault or hers. She was just so grateful for him now. She brought her hands up and wrapped them around his waist, resting her head against his chest. "Inuyasha… it's not your fault. The past is the past." How many times she tried telling herself that? How many times she didn't believe it? Her past always came back to haunt her.

"We should go back," Kagome said, pushing against him. He let her go because he had to, dropping his hands to his sides. Kagome could see that the tension and the anger was gone, or at least he wasn't showing it. She smiled, wanting to lighten the mood between them and wanting to forget about her parents. "Your mother must love flowers very much to have so many of them." She moved then, taking a few steps back towards the house and turning to see if he would follow her.

They stared at each other for a few moments. Inuyasha didn't want this moment to end. He wanted to stop time in this garden so that she could tell him more about her childhood, so that he could erase all her fears. He knew that there was more trauma in her past than she put on and let others believe. One of which was her aversion of men touching her. For some reason, he had a feeling that her father was the reason behind that. Inuyasha never wanted anyone or anything to hurt her, and he would be damned if she was. He knew now, as he stared at her with his parent's home in the background, she looking so beautiful in that white gown, her blue eyes shining as she talked about his mother's flowers again, like she had forgotten all about what they just talked about. He knew that she would be the only one for him. But… he worried that the scars of her past would prevent her from wanting him as much as he wanted her.

Inuyasha shrugged with a smile, moving his feet as he walked towards her, the two of them heading back towards the auction in step together. "My Mother has another garden on the other side of the house. She has the bigger shrubs and trees there, all varieties of sakura and one of her favorites is the Kobushi magnolia. She tends to them almost every day, unless she's busy with work. They have attendants who take care of the home and the grounds when they're working or away on business."

"Wow… sakura…" All Japanese loved the sakura as it was a national flower and its beauty was just ethereal and divine. "I love sakura. There's a park across the street of my apartment and I love watching the sakura bloom and how it falls to the ground. They're so precious."

Inuyasha nodded his head, turning to look at her stare at the jasmine in her hand, smiling to himself. "I had a feeling you would like this place."

"Hm?" She turned to see him looking at her, making her blush and look ahead, wondering what he meant by that.

Inuyasha chuckled, bringing a hand up to pat his hair, smoothing it down nervously. "All women love flowers," he pointed out, earning him a look from her as if he was wrong. "What? Don't all women love flowers?" he asked, truly thinking that they did.

Kagome shook her head, rolling her eyes at him. "Not all women, Inuyasha. Just like how not all men like to work on cars," she pointed out. Inuyasha thought about it for a moment, nodding his understanding. He shrugged his shoulders as they made it beneath the archway and out of his mother's garden.

"Okay, I see your point. But I could tell that you were bored in there and I just wanted to bring you out here to see the flowers. I thought it would make you happy."

Kagome stopped, shocked by his words, as Inuyasha took a few steps until he realized she had stopped behind him. He turned around to look at her, confused, and she smiled at him sweetly. No one had ever made her feel like Inuyasha did. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.

"Thank you… Inuyasha. You made me very happy," she whispered. No one has ever done something so simple for her, yet it meant so much to her, and for some reason he knew it. He really had found his way into her heart and she found herself falling hard for him. In a way, he was just like her father in that he thought about her and gave her something that made her happy. 'Inuyasha… please don't be like my father. Please be you… I… I need you…' She bit her lip and squeezed him, needing him to know how much he had wound his way into her heart without her having to tell him.

Inuyasha sighed deeply, wrapping his arms around her as her weight settled against him. "Kagome…" The things she did to him. Never has a woman ever gotten her way around his heart like Kagome had. There was once a time when he thought he had found a woman just like her, a woman whom he loved with all of his heart and thought she loved him with all of hers. But that was a lie. Her love turned out to be a lie and his heart was shattered, vowing to never love another ever again. After living on this earth for 249 years, he had seen his share of women. Women who flaunted over him like he was nothing more but a toy for sex, especially when he was younger growing up in the Edo period. Back then it was kill or be killed, procreate or die without anyone to remember you. But with his lifespan, and that of his parents', he didn't have any desire to find a mate. Not only did he not desire it but he just hadn't found a woman to mate with, unlike his half brother Sesshomaru who has been mated to Rin for over 300 years. Inuyasha was barely over 100 years old when he met Kiyomi, another inu-youkai, whose parents were a part of his Father's court. They became good friends and eventually became more than friends. And he thought that's what love was, that he loved her unconditionally. That she was his mate and that their feelings for each other were unbreakable. But that turned out to be a lie or maybe it was just 'puppy love', as ironic as that sounded. Here, with Kagome, his heart and his demon were at peace. True peace. Holding her, kissing her, just being with her put him at peace. 'Is this it, Father? Is this the peace that you got from Mother after losing your first mate?' he wondered. Whatever happened in the past didn't matter now. Kagome was here, in his arms, and he wanted nothing more than to make her his.

"And now let's get to dancing! Thank you everyone for your donations tonight. And thank you for coming!" The MC's voice echoed out from the balcony doors above, breaking their quiet time together.

Kagome was the first to push away, making Inuyasha reluctantly let her go again as he smiled at her in longing. "Well… I guess the party's over" she said, looking up at the light spilling from overhead. "We should probably get back inside." She turned to look through the archway again, looking down the path. "Thanks again, Inuyasha, for showing me this. I would really like to see the sakura trees some other time. Maybe in the daytime when I can see them better?" she joked.

Inuyasha laughed. "Yeah. They do look much nicer in the light." The two of them laughed as the music above started, the sound of one of Kikyo's songs playing in honor of her being recognized tonight. Inuyasha looked up, arching his eyebrow.

"Hm… I wonder if that's her really singing," Kagome said, looking up as well.

Inuyasha shook his head, his ears twitching. "No. It's just a recording. We'd better get back before the others start a search party." He smirked, looking at her with playfulness.

Kagome arched her eyebrow, wondering why he looked like he was up to something. "What?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and smiled. "You want to jump up?"

Kagome looked at him as if he grew two heads, looking above at the balcony that was too high for them to jump onto, especially with the railings. It was maybe a little over ten feet high, that's not including the top of the railings. She looked at him and noticed he was still smiling, obviously dead serious. Of course, he was a half-demon, and this probably was easy for him. Right?

"You're serious."

Inuyasha laughed out loud, bringing his hands out to wrap them around her waist. Kagome squeaked as she was brought against him, staring up at him with a little trepidation and a little excitement.

"Kagome, I am a half-demon. This is nothing for me."

"Even if you carry me?"

He chuckled, his chest moving against her own, making her more excited about this ability of his that she really wanted to see. "Even if I carry you. You weigh nothing to me."

She couldn't believe what he was saying but really wanted him to do it. The thought alone sent butterflies in her stomach and made her feel like a child again. To think that Inuyasha could jump up high with her in his arms, that was a fairytale and something totally cool. She smiled, grinning from ear to ear, and Inuyasha got the hint. Her excitement was washing off her in waves.

"Okay," giving him her trust and her permission.

He smiled, his teeth white and gleaming, as he bent down to place his inner elbow under her knees, sweeping her off her feet. Kagome gasped at the suddenness, falling into his chest, her excitement blooming within as she felt his strength in the way he held her without any effort. She couldn't believe that this would be possible, but then she never had demon friends, aside from those at Midnite, who would show her their demon strength and abilities. A lot of demons hid their physical features and abilities in this day and age so it wasn't like she saw people jumping around from building to building like this.

Inuyasha chuckled, sensing her change in mood and her excitement, her body soft against his. "Hang on." She had enough time to get her free hand to grip the back of his neck before he crouched low to the ground and leapt up, making her gasp as the wind rushed against her face. She caught her breath, tucking her head underneath his chin, but then the feeling of weightlessness came a couple seconds later and she opened her eyes, noticing that they were above the balcony, several feet up, now floating down. Inuyasha landed on the balcony, his shoes touching the ground softly, and looked down at her face. He was surprised to see the huge grin on her face, her childlike features showing as she stared up at him with excitement.

"That was awesome!" she squealed, moving side to side in his arms out of sheer adrenaline.

Inuyasha laughed and bent to place her feet on the ground, fixing her dress for her as he stood back up. Kagome was nearly bouncing on her feet, her excitement taking hold.

"Inuyasha, that was amazing! I loved that. It was like we were flying."

Inuyasha nodded his head, never really seeing his abilities the way she saw them, like a gift and with such excitement. To her, it was a special feat, something obviously impossible for humans, which was why he could understand her excitement and awe. To him, it was natural, something he did since he was a child, and usually causing more trouble than good when he was young. But seeing it through her eyes made him smile, taking to heart the way she saw him as a hanyou.

"It's not a big deal, Kagome. That really was only maybe ten feet," he said, waving it off, looking ahead to see his mother standing in the doorway, waving him in.

"What do you mean? I would love to be able to do that. Do you know how fast it would be to get from A to B?" she said, thinking it through. "Can you jump over buildings too?"

Inuyasha laughed, moving to place his hand against her lower back as he turned her so that the two of them could head back inside before his mother came out here and dragged them in. He knew her. "It depends on how tall the building is."

"Well do you jump between buildings? Is that how you travel?" she wondered, gazing at him curiously. It would make life so much more convenient since he wouldn't have to wait in traffic on the busy streets of Tokyo.

Inuyasha nodded his head. "Sometimes. Not all the time."

"And no one can see you?"

"Nope. Well… maybe they might see a blur of me. But I haven't seen any news reports yet of an unidentified figure flying through the air," he teased, his eyes gleaming at her. Kagome huffed, slapping his chest with the back of her hand that held the jasmine.

"Don't make fun of me. That is totally cool, Inuyasha." She looked ahead and finally noticed Izayoi standing in the doorway, now realizing that Inuyasha was leading her towards his mother. That's right. They had to get back to the party. Everyone was currently dancing now on the small dance floor while others stood around or sat at their tables, talking to one another. The hall wasn't as packed anymore as some decided to go home once the auction was over. Just as they made their way to Izayoi, Kagome remembered something.

"Wait… that's how you got into my hotel room," she pointed out. Inuyasha looked at her and smiled, nodding his head.

"Inuyasha. Kagome," Izayoi greeted them as he brought Kagome up to his mother. He smiled at his mother, her eyes knowing as she looked him up and down and then at Kagome, especially noting the way he kept his hand against Kagome's lower back. "You guys had fun in the garden?"

Kagome blushed, remembering the flower she picked, nodding. "Yes. I picked one of your jasmines. I hope you don't mind."

Izayoi waved her hand dismissively. "It's just a flower, Kagome. Take as many as you want. But, if you don't mind, I would like to have a dance with my son," Izayoi said, smiling up at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha is a wonderful dancer." She extended her hand out expectantly at him.

"I would agree with that," Kagome said, smiling tenderly as she watched Izayoi gaze at her son adoringly.

Inuyasha smiled at his mother and turned to look at Kagome, apologetically. "Five minutes." Kagome smiled and nodded her understanding, waving her hand at him to tell him to go, and watched as he extended his elbow out to Izayoi so that she could place her hand in the crook of his elbow as he led her back inside. The music had changed and was now much slower than Kikyo's song, giving the dancers a chance to catch their breath. Kagome stood just outside the doorway, envying Inuyasha's relationship with his parents, especially with his mother. She frowned, looking down at the jasmine, twirling the stem around between her index and thumb.

She turned and went back out onto the balcony, needing the night air and loving how beautiful the countryside was without the city lights. She wanted to soak in as much as she could before she had to go back home into the city. It was so tranquil here. She suddenly wondered where everyone else was. 'I should go look for Sango and the others,' she thought, turning to head towards the doors that were at the front of the hall where her table was. Her eyes fell on someone and she stopped dead in her tracks.

He was standing a distance away from her, coming in through the middle doors. He stood staring at her, shocked just as she was that they would meet at a place like this, outside of the club. Then he moved, making his way towards her, and she was unable to look away from him. She took note of the black suit he wore, looking just as handsome as he did in the club. His black eyes were soft as his eyes roamed up and down her body the way they always did, claiming her as his. She flushed, feeling uncomfortable. It was different to meet her clients here, outside of the club, as herself and not as Sapphire. She felt… vulnerable.

"Sai," she whispered as he came up to her.

"Kagome." Sai stood in front of her, staring at her, unbelieving of what he was seeing. He thought he saw her earlier but it was only a glimpse and thought nothing of it. A woman with blue hair and a white gown had passed by his table earlier with one of the Fujimoto's son, but he didn't catch her face. But then again, he didn't have to. The way the woman walked away, her hair and her body figure, only affirmed his suspicion. But throughout the whole night, he couldn't find her again. He had left to use the bathroom, using all that standing time to look around the room for a woman with blue hair, but he couldn't find her. So he thought he had made her up and went back to his table. But then he noticed Hiroshi talking with her earlier at the back tables and didn't want to be rude during the auction, so he waited until Hiroshi was finished. However, when she returned to the table, the Fujimoto's son approached her along with some other people and he took her away, once again leaving him to wonder. Now, he had her alone and he couldn't believe to meet her here, outside of Midnite, with her being herself. Her beauty was truly breathtaking. She really didn't know the effect she had on men, whether it was intentional or not.

"Kagome…"

"Sai…" Kagome said, looking around cautiously, expecting to see others from the club. "You know the Fujimotos too?" she asked, a little disappointed. He was one of the last of her clients whom she thought to meet here.

Sai frowned, catching the disappointment in her tone. "I'm a business partner with the Fujimotos. Well, at least my father has been for years. When I was invited to this charity event, I had to come out of obligation. The Fujimotos have been nothing but helpful and loyal to my father and vice versa."

Kagome nodded, keeping her eyes avoiding his. She looked at his chest, unable to look up at him. It felt so weird having him here that she didn't know what to do. He was her favorite client and he was someone whom she felt such a connection with. She never thought to mix him into her real life. She wanted to keep him forever with her as Sapphire, not as Kagome. Her fingers tightened on the flower, looking down at it. 'Inuyasha…'

"Kagome," he reached out to her but stopped himself, lowering his hand back to his side, respecting her rules because of what it meant to her, even if they weren't in the club. "So you really are the 'blue-haired dancer'," he said, though mostly to himself, as if now it was real. "I heard some of the reports and social media posts but I wasn't able to watch any of your television performances. I had a feeling it was you even when you didn't confirm it that night."

Kagome nodded. He took her silence as his way to continue. "Why couldn't you just tell me?" he said, bringing his hand up to his chest. "I would've protected your identity. I wouldn't have told anyone."

Kagome hushed him by reaching for his hand that remained against his chest, making him freeze. She gazed up at him, apologetically. He genuinely seemed hurt by the fact that she didn't tell him. "Sai… it's not that I don't trust you. It's more than just my privacy. There's… things about me that you don't know. And it's not your business to know. You're my client. It's my business to know your business so that I can please you."

"Don't say that," he said, squeezing her hand, uncaring about her rules. He didn't like the fact that it sounded like she was degrading herself. He wouldn't stand by and let her do that. "You're more than just a gentlemen's girl to me. You're… important to me."

Kagome felt her heart race, taking a step back but his hand gripped hers tighter against his chest. She didn't know why he always made her feel this way, like she could open herself up to him and he wouldn't judge her, like they had such a deep connection. She was so confused with this man.

"Kagome."

Her head turned at Inuyasha's voice as she saw him coming out onto the balcony, his eyes hard as he glared at Sai. She felt her heart skip, looking between the two men, feeling like she was caught in a dilemma. She looked at Sai, watching him stare at Inuyasha nonchalantly, as if he recognized Inuyasha but didn't know why he was here interrupting them. Kagome bit her bottom lip. 'This isn't good. The two of them… together?' Ugh. What bad luck she had tonight! Inuyasha came up and stood next to them, both men staring each other down. Sai was a tall man, much taller than her and a little taller than Inuyasha. But Inuyasha just stared at him without any fear in his eyes but by his body language, he wasn't happy.

"Inuyasha…" She moved then, taking the opportunity to free her hand from Sai's grip, making him gaze at her questioningly. She went to stand between the two, not sure what was happening between them but she didn't want Sai to say anything first that might cause Inuyasha to be suspicious. Her life with Sai was different from her life with Inuyasha and she wanted to keep it that way. "I thought you were dancing with your mother?" she asked, looking at him.

He nodded his head but kept his eyes on Sai, who currently had his eyes on Kagome. 'Who the hell is this guy?' he thought, his demon starting to flex its claws, itching for the man's blood. He could scent the man's attraction to Kagome, the pheromones that came off of him was making his blood boil, his demon rising its head at the challenge. When he had come looking for Kagome, he didn't expect to find her with another man holding her hand against his chest. He suppressed a growl, glaring at the guy.

"The song finished."

Kagome frowned. His voice was different, hard, and clipped. She looked at him for a while, wondering the change in him, but decided she needed to get these two away from each other before things escalated.

"Oh. Well… let's go inside and find the others," she said, forcing herself to be excited about it, a little too much, as she went to grab his arm, placing her hand just on his bicep. "They're probably wondering where we are." She tried to turn him around to head back inside but he was immovable.

"Who's your friend?" Inuyasha asked, nudging his chin towards Sai. The man kept staring at Kagome, now looking at her hand that was on his arm. 'He knows Kagome. He's familiar with her.' This only turned his blood to ice. He let himself feel it, reveled in the way his demon flexed its claws, itching for blood. He hadn't felt this threatened by someone in years, decades. Someone had never made him feel so out of control of his rage like this man was doing right now, just by simply desiring his mate. But he hadn't claimed Kagome as his yet, so he didn't really have any right to her.

Kagome could feel radiating tension from Inuyasha, and she looked at him with worry, wondering why he was getting so angry. He was glaring at Sai as if looks could kill. There was no reason why Inuyasha would be so aggressive towards Sai and she needed to diffuse the situation before Sai said anything that would compromise her.

"This is Sai. Sai…"

"Okano," Inuyasha finished for her.

Sai finally looked at Inuyasha, his face neutral. He didn't like the way Kagome touched the Fujimoto boy but he couldn't help it. He couldn't touch her the way he wanted to and being that they weren't in the club, he needed to watch what he said for Kagome's sake. Also, since the Fujimotos were a good friend and colleague to his family, he didn't want to start anything between their families. Although, he couldn't help but notice the boy's protective posture and the way it looked like he was challenging him in a way only a man would notice. Sai forced himself to smile, trying to ease the tension, at least for Kagome's sake.

"I must've forgotten your name, Mr. Fujimoto. Forgive me."

Kagome blinked, looking at Sai in question. She watched the interaction between them as they spoke formally to each other.

"Inuyasha."

Sai bowed his head. "Inuyasha. Your father and my father have been in the business together for a long time."

"I know. I remember you."

Sai forced a smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate your business with my family's company."

Inuyasha said nothing, still assessing who this man was to Kagome. He would have to ask his father later about this Sai Okano. He remembered him but vaguely, showing up to some of his father's big corporate meetings with CEOs from other corporations. He remembered seeing this man there and just now remembered his last name when Kagome was introducing him. Of course, he couldn't see how Kagome would know this man. He was a rich, business man, and probably not in Kagome's circle of friends. So how did she know him? And why was he holding her hand against his chest? He clenched his fists together, jealousy getting the best of him.

"Sai." Inutaisho came out and Kagome noticed that he was not alone. Izayoi was at his side, smiling at the three of them as they approached. "It is good seeing you here. Did you like the event?" he asked, moving to stand on the other side of Kagome between the two men. She inwardly sighed, wondering how else her night could get any worse. She wasn't sure if this was family business now that Inuyasha's parents were here, but she was sure that they knew Sai.

Sai turned to Inutaisho, smiling at him with a slight bow. "I did, thank you. I actually ran into Kagome just now and wanted to say hello," he announced, making everyone but Inuyasha look at her. She frowned, staring at Sai as if he lost his mind, trying to think of something to say now to play along.

"Really? Kagome? Do you know Sai?" Inutaisho asked, now curious. His golden eyes so much like his son's were looking at her with curiosity, making her turn her head from him.

"Yeah… Sai and I are good friends." Inuyasha's ears flicked, making him look at her now with a stare, listening intently. "We've known each other for a while now."

"Is that so?" Inutaisho asked, smiling at her. "Well… seems like you've made yourself a good friend, Sai," he said, keeping the conversation light.

Sai could only smile, nodding in agreement. "Yes. Kagome actually was the one who helped me to take over my father's company after his health declined and make a merger with another company that I had bad blood with. I really didn't want to do it and was probably going to step down had it not been for Kagome's encouragement," he said, looking at her with genuine gratitude. "I owe her a lot."

Kagome flushed. "Um… it's really not a big deal. I only helped to point out the obvious," she said quickly, not wanting them to ask anymore questions about her and Sai's history together. At least he didn't tell a lie and she was grateful to him for not saying too much. He seemed to understand that he needed to keep her identity a secret.

Inutaisho nodded his understanding and then looked at his son. "Inuyasha. Your friends are looking for you. It seems like many of them are leaving and want to say their goodbyes. You should go see them out." He watched his son pay no attention to him although he knew that Inuyasha heard him, making Inutaisho wonder how invested his son really was in Kagome. He would have a talk with him later tonight. "Inuyasha," he said again, this time a little more firmly. He got the point.

"Come on, Kagome," Inuyasha said, placing his hand over hers that was on his bicep, turning so that they could head into the hall, him holding her hand. He needed to get his emotions in check. Even his father had probably sensed his demon, that was why he came outside with his mother just in case she was needed to deescalate the situation. His mother was always a calming presence whenever his demon went a little wild. His father saw too much.

"Inuyasha? What was that about?" Kagome asked, following him back inside because she had no other choice. She didn't know why he was holding her hand or why he was acting so strange. But there was something between him and Sai that she needed to ask Sai about the next time she saw him at the club. "Do you not like Sai?" she wondered when he didn't respond.

The two of them got into the hall and looked around for the group, spotting some of them heading for the door, some of them at the food tables and some dancing on the dance floor. Itsuki called them over towards the back where he, Kokoro and Aiko were heading out of the hall. He made his way to the back of the room and went towards the three, ignoring her questions.

"You guys leaving?" he asked them, letting go of Kagome as they got closer to the three.

Itsuki smiled and nodded, placing a hand onto his head. "Sorry, but I'm wiped. It was a long night last night at the concert and with tonight's celebration and drinks… I'm ready for bed."

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow. "You're not driving are you?"

Itsuki snickered as Kokoro waved her hand. "I'm driving. We'll be okay." Inuyasha nodded, satisfied that she didn't smell like alcohol, and thanked them for coming. Kagome said her goodbyes to them and promised they would catch up next week. The three of them took their leave, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone in the back of the room, looking around for the others.

"Who is he to you, Kagome?" he asked out of nowhere. Kagome looked at him but he was looking around for the others. She frowned, wondering where his question came from. She had thought that the tension was because of some bad blood between them due to their business or something. Was all that tension because… of her? 'What? Why does he want to know about me and Sai?'

"He's just a friend, Inuyasha," she said, turning to look for the others, suddenly wanting to go home. It was a long night. And her feelings for Inuyasha only made her more uncertain and confused as to where their relationship stood. She didn't know if he was her boss or maybe something more now. After what happened in the garden, she hoped they could be something more. But she doubted it. People like her never had happy endings. Life wasn't a fairytale. "Sai's just a good friend. I helped him with his father's business and we've stayed in touch."

"Still?" Inuyasha asked, walking away, leaving her behind speechless. She frowned, watching him walk towards the food tables to speak to Kimiko, Mai and Shiori who were currently talking and eating a little more. She decided to head back to her table, grab her things and go. She was tired. And after what happened outside, she wasn't sure where the night was going now that she and Inuyasha had such an intimate time outside in the garden that turned sour. Her feelings for him didn't change. But he seemed a bit irritated and angry at her, making her wonder what she did wrong.

Kagome weaved her way through the tables as she made her way up to the front next to the dance floor to grab her clutch on her table. She noticed Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kikyo all dancing together in a circle. The music of an all-time favorite was on, making everyone move their bodies to the known lyrics. They all sang along as they danced with each other. Kagome smiled, staring at the sight, before taking her phone out of her clutch to dial Jinenji's number. She felt bad but at this moment, she really wanted to go home, even if it would take him about an hour and a half to get to her. She would start walking if she had to.

The phone rang once and then Jinenji answered. "Kagome."

She was surprised that he was still up and answered so quickly. "Jinenji."

"You need me?"

Kagome nodded, overcome with emotion that he would be there for her, and was about to explain but she heard Sango call out her name. "Kagome! Kagome!" She turned around and saw Sango leaving the others and quickly hurried towards her, her hair a little disheveled after a long night. She smiled as she came up to Kagome, a little out of breath.

"Hang on," Kagome said to Jinenji. "Hey, Sango." She placed her phone down against her stomach to try to muffle their voices.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all night," Sango said with a smile, her adrenaline giving her a rush. "I wanted us to dance together."

"Oh, sorry. I've been busy. I think I'm just going to head home."

"What? Now?" Sango asked, surprised that Kagome was leaving now and without saying goodbye. "Did something happen? Did Inuyasha say something to you?" she asked, now clearly worried and getting upset. Kagome shook her head, her free hand going up.

"No, no. It's not Inuyasha. It's just that I'm tired and it's been a long couple of weeks, you know, with all the late night shows and yesterday's concert. I just want to go home."

"Do you have a ride?"

"I'm calling one of my friends. He's going to come pick me up."

"From Tokyo? That's going to take him over an hour to get here."

Kagome shrugged, smiling it off. "It's okay. He's fine with it. I'll see you guys next week?"

Sango held up her hand, freezing Kagome. "We'll take you home."

"What? No! No. I'll have my friend come pick me up. You guys have fun."

"No. Miroku and I will take you home. Just wait here." With that, Sango turned and headed back to the dance floor, leaving Kagome speechless. 'What just happened?' She remembered that Jinenji was still on the line and she brought her phone back up to her ear, plugging her opposite ear so she could hear him better since she was right up near the stage and the speakers.

"Jinenji?"

"You need me to come get you?"

"Umm…" she stared ahead, watching Sango speak to Miroku as he began to stop dancing, smiling at her with a nod. The two of them waved their goodbyes to Kikyo and Shippo as they made their way back to their table to grab their things. "No. Never mind. My friends are going to bring me back. I'll probably have her drop me off at Shinjuku Park and walk over to my apartment."

"Do you need me to wait for you there?"

She smiled, grateful that Jinenji was in her life. She truly appreciated him and his care for her safety. "No, thank you, Jinenji. But I'll be fine."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Good night."

She hung up and put her phone back in her clutch just as Miroku and Sango approached her, both looking beat and ready to leave.

"Ready?" Miroku asked, smiling at her.

"You guys really don't have to take me home," Kagome insisted, not wanting to be a burden to them.

Sango waved her off and led the way, making Miroku shrug as he followed behind her and Kagome followed in line with him. "I said we're taking you home, so we are," Sango called out from the front. "Besides, I was getting tired anyways. I was just worried about you and where you had gone. I hadn't seen you for most of the night and I didn't want to leave until I saw you."

"We were going to offer you a ride anyway," Miroku said, bringing his hands up. "So no big deal. I don't mind." Sango turned around to smile at Kagome, finalizing the deal. Kagome shook her head at their kindness, unable to complain.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, coming up to Inuyasha and the other three still at the food tables. "Good party. Your parents always throw awesome events."

Inuyasha grunted. "Yeah. It's one of my Mother's gifts." He glanced at Kagome, wondering what to say to her. The night had taken a strange turn and he was still ticked off about Sai. He needed to find out more about his relationship with Kagome.

"We're leaving," Sango announced to all of them, smiling at everyone. "Kagome's tired and so am I. Miroku will drive us back and we'll take Kagome home."

Inuyasha nodded his head as Shiori, Kimiko and Mai said their goodbyes. They too were going to leave soon as the party was starting to mellow down and everyone was leaving for the night. But they had to try more of the delicious food before they left.

"Inuyasha, will you be sleeping over?" Sango asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Better than driving back at this hour."

Miroku nodded his understanding, already knowing. "Alright. We'll see you later." Inuyasha nodded his head as Sango and Miroku took their leave, but Kagome felt like there was something unsaid between herself and Inuyasha. Apparently so did he as he stared at her, both of them not really saying anything. The other three remained silent and then decided to take their leave at the awkwardness, heading back to their table.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome started, going up to him with a smile, hoping that they could go back to how things were. "Thank for a lovely night."

After a beat, he sighed and nodded his head, not wanting to have her leave without her knowing that he had a good night as well, even though it ended on a sour note. Funny, it seemed like déjà vu all over again. "I had a good night with you, Kagome." She flushed, staring down at the jasmine still in her hand, remembering their kiss in the garden. She looked at him shyly and smiled, forgetting all that happened with Sai.

"Kagome!" Sango called at the doorway. "Come on!" Kagome looked towards the two and then back at Inuyasha, smiling at him one last time.

"I'll see you next week?"

"Yeah. See you."

With that, she took her leave, leaving much lighter now that she was able to clear the air with Inuyasha. She was just happy that he wasn't mad at her and was still talking to her. Kagome met up with Sango and Miroku and the three of them went outside to get into the car and head back to Tokyo.

The two men who had watched Kagome the entire night left as well, stepping outside behind the three as the valet went to retrieve their car. One made a phone call as they waited for the valet to bring the car around.

"Yeah. She has a concert in Osaka next month. Right. I'll book the tickets."

The car was brought around and the two of them entered, slipping away without ever being noticed.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Inutaisho found his youngest sitting downstairs in the great room well past midnight, staring into the fire burning in the fireplace with nothing but black sweatpants on. He had a glass of something murky in one hand while the other supported his chin, holding his head up. Inutaisho came down the stairs from the upstairs bedrooms and walked towards Inuyasha, sitting down on a chair next to him, both facing the fireplace.

"Can't sleep?"

Inuyasha shook his head, taking a sip of his drink and then showing it to his father, his eyes still glued to the fire. "Needed a pick me up."

Inutaisho grunted. "Although I'm not sure if it'll pick you up."

Inuyasha shrugged, taking another sip, downing the glass contents. He brought his head off his palm and reached down where he had the bottle on the side of his chair, pouring himself another drink. "I have the whole bottle to pick me up."

Inutaisho chuckled, shaking his head. "I thought I taught you better."

"You did," he said, putting the cap back on and placing the bottle back down. "But I still need a drink. And it'll take a lot to get me drunk. So I figure I'd start with a bottle and go from there."

The two of them sat in silence for a bit as Inuyasha nursed his sake. The fire was the only light source in the entire house, causing a shadowy effect on them. Inutaisho sighed, needing his son to talk to him, to get things off his chest and figure out what was bothering him. Talking usually helps to get one's mind cleared up and thoughts into focus.

"Son… your demon will only become more possessive of her if you don't claim her."

Inuyasha's ears flicked. He figured that his father was going to talk to him about Kagome and what happened tonight. His father was good at reading many things, especially his own sons, and it didn't help that Inuyasha had two sides that weren't on the same page. One needed to catch up with the other while one was aggressively running ahead, wanting to claim the prize already.

"I know. I already am possessive of her."

"I saw that. I could feel your jyaki while we were dancing," Inutaisho mentioned, staring at the dancing flames.

Inuyasha smirked. "You and Mother are the only ones so attuned to me like that."

Inutaisho shrugged. "I'm your father. I've seen you lose control of your demon many times so I know the feeling of your jyaki and of Sesshomaru's. My blood is in both of you."

Inuyasha grunted. "Yeah, well, I wasn't going to kill the guy."

"No, but you sure did look like you wanted to. I brought your mother along just in case."

Inuyasha chuckled. "Yeah, I knew that was your intention. Mother always had a way of pacifying my demon blood."

"She's your mother. Your demon would recognize her."

Inuyasha snickered. "Not always. My demon knows no one. It only knows the instinct to kill."

Inutaisho said nothing, knowing this to be true. He had seen Inuyasha lose control of his demon blood many times, especially during the Edo period. When wars ravaged the land and demons and priestesses had more social and political power than they did now, that was when Inuyasha had gone berserk on more than one occasion. By his hands, he had to beat his son unconscious in order to stop the killing spree that his demon desired. There was no talking to Inuyasha when he lost control. Not even his mother could, but her presence did help to calm him for as long as she could before the blood took over. In the end, Inutaisho didn't enjoy one minute of beating his youngest unconscious, but it needed to be done, and he had many scars on his heart to prove it. It was obvious that Inuyasha was his son and that his great inu-youkai blood flowed in him, giving his demon enormous power and strength that even rivaled his own when he was in his human form.

"So you haven't told her yet?"

Inuyasha shook his head, taking another sip. "She wouldn't understand."

"Why do you think that? Kagome seems like a very intuitive and smart, young woman."

Inuyasha sighed. "Father… there's a lot I still don't know about her." He paused, thinking back to when they were in his mother's garden and what she had shared with him. He saw her face in the dancing flames, remembering how sad her voice was as she recalled her childhood memories. "Tonight… she told me about her past. It sounds like she had deadbeat parents who were drug addicts and left their young daughter to fend for herself for days while they got high."

Inutaisho watched as Inuyasha downed the entire contents of the nearly full glass, sensing his son's rage as he spoke about Kagome's parents. He was intrigued but allowed his son to compose himself as they sat in the silence together, the wood splintering and crackling from the flames the only sound in the room.

"So… she opened up about her past? That's a start. I remember just earlier tonight you told me that she doesn't open up about herself or her past."

Inuyasha nodded his head. "Yeah. I guess being in Mother's garden triggered something in her and she just told me about herself."

"Hmmm… but it wasn't all that nice."

"No." He couldn't imagine what it would've been like for Kagome to have lived a life like that. He tried to imagine a young Kagome, wandering on the streets, looking for her parents, searching for them among the many adults that probably didn't even bother to look at her. He tried to imagine a young Kagome needing to work or steal in order to eat every day while her parents only thought of themselves and getting high. And the more he thought about it, the more he wished they were in front of him. He wouldn't be in the least kind or sympathetic, even if Kagome would beg for mercy on their behalf. "She told me that her parents would be gone for days or even weeks before they would remember her." He spat out the word. What kind of parents would forget their child?

Inutaisho said nothing, not liking the situation anymore than Inuyasha did. It was unfortunate that Kagome had to grow up like that, and he felt all the more respect for her. "But look at her now. She's here and stronger than that child. She's alive."

"But at what cost?" he said, mostly to himself. "She's… broken. I still feel like there's so much she hasn't told me and so much that I haven't told her. She barely knows me either. She doesn't know what it means to become a mate to a demon. I don't even know if I love her." But as the words came out of his mouth, he already knew the answer.

"Of course you do," his father confirmed. "That is the name of that instinct you have, Inuyasha. It is love. It might be your demon's initial instinct to claim what is his and what it wants, but it's that instinct that tells you that she's the only one for you. In time, you will understand and you will fall in love with her in your own time. Deeper and deeper as the years go by, your love for her will grow and the instinct will get stronger. But like your Mother and me, it never fades. It only grows stronger."

Inuyasha listened to his father's words, taking them to heart. 'Do I love Kagome?' Love. What a silly word that humans like to throw around without knowing the real meaning behind it. For a demon, love was mate. A mate was a deep, unbreakable bond between two people's souls. For inu-youkai, it also meant between two people's physical bodies, as would explain his mother's and Rin's longevity. They had been mated for centuries and they looked every bit the same age as they did the day that they chose to mate with his father and brother. But as for inu-hanyous, he didn't know if it was at all possible for him to mate with Kagome in that way.

"Father? Do you think the mating ritual would work on Kagome?"

"Of course it would. You're not the only hanyou who has fallen in love with a human throughout history," he pointed out. "Why do you have doubts?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't have doubts. I just don't think she would accept it. It's hard to accept, you know. Even when Rin mated with Sesshomaru… she had to count the costs of being mated to an inu-youkai and think about her family that she would have to watch die in order to be with Sesshomaru."

"That's love, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding. "I know. I mean… I thought I felt that way for Kiyomi."

Inutaisho closed his eyes, hearing the name of his son's ex-lover. His son had been head over heels for Kiyomi, an inu-youkai just like their family. It was a perfect match, one that even he approved of, a little too enthusiastically, and urged them to mate before he read the signs. And apparently, as fate would have it, it wasn't a perfect match. Kiyomi had denied mating Inuyasha, claiming that she didn't want to mate with an inu-hanyou because she wanted to have pups. That had crushed his son's soul more than his heart and since then, Inutaisho has never forgiven Kiyomi for leading Inuyasha on like that only to break his heart. She had known from the beginning about hanyous and yet still pretended like she wanted to be with Inuyasha forever. Perhaps even Inuyasha didn't love Kiyomi the way he should've, the way they both, as mates, should've. Both of them had been young when they first started dating so maybe they were just infatuated with each other on some superficial, lustful level. But Inutaisho never forgave her or her family and had severed his connections with their family. That was him being very lenient on them, much to Inuyasha's request.

"Kiyomi didn't love you, son. Perhaps you didn't love her either. It wasn't meant to be and it wasn't true love. Even so, both of you were young and thought to be in love. Whatever the case, she wasn't your true mate. She didn't love you."

"She did," Inuyasha whispered, knowing in his heart that there was a time when he and Kiyomi loved each other.

"Not enough."

Inuyasha shut his eyes, hearing the hurtful truth of his father's words, even though he had come to terms with it a long time ago. His father was right. Kiyomi didn't love him enough, and that was what broke him. He remembered the depression he was in for years after their breakup because he didn't feel 'good enough'. He had lived with his parents for years, wanting the solitude and isolation of the mountain side, rarely leaving this place to go out into the real world, not wanting to be around civilization. Whenever his parents had gatherings here, he would always retreat into the mountains, seeking solitude and refuge in nature and only coming back home in the morning when all the guests were well gone. He was a loner, needing comfort from someone but never the right one. His mother, however, was always there as a mother should be. Still, he felt like his heart had been ripped out and trampled on because the fact was, being a hanyou, he truly wasn't good enough to give Kiyomi a family.

"She was right though. I couldn't give her a family. I can't blame her for wanting that." He took another sip, downing the entire glass before pouring himself the last of the bottle, letting it fall on the carpet. "I don't even know if Kagome will accept me."

Inutaisho turned to look at Inuyasha, hearing his son's deepest fears. His heart ached for his youngest, stuck between two worlds, always being hated or rejected since he was born. Now that demons were rare, hanyous were now loved and accepted, sought after, ironically. But for Inuyasha, the damage had been done. He would always doubt himself and question whether or not he deserved to be loved. He would always doubt whether someone could love him for him, no matter the cards that fate dealt him.

"Listen, Inuyasha," he said, his voice commanding and hard. "I don't want you to ever think of yourself in that way. Ever. You are my son, the son of the Great Inu-taiyoukai, Inutaisho Fujimoto, Lord of the Western Lands. My blood flows through your veins and I am not ashamed of calling you my son."

Inuyasha's ears flicked, smiling as he closed his eyes, not expecting their conversation to get so deep and emotional. His father's voice boomed in the quiet house, echoing in the great room, as he spoke to make a point.

"If your instinct is telling you that Kagome is the one, then follow your instincts. Whatever you have to do. That is what we demons do. Whatever that needs to be done for our mates, we will move mountains for them. We would kill for them. Until you tell her how you feel, you will never resolve anything. You both need to tell each other how you feel and be honest with yourselves."

Inuyasha turned to look at his father, now curious. "What do you mean?"

Inutaisho smirked. "I can see that the two of you have a connection that is deep. I can sense it between the two of you. The bond is strong, even now, so early in your relationship or whatever you're calling this," he said with a wave of his hand. "But whatever 'this' is… I haven't seen you act this way with any other woman, not even with Kiyomi. Which means Kagome is someone very special to you, whether you acknowledge it or not. You will see it later. But for now, Son… just tell her how you feel. If you can't tell her, then show her. But you can't keep hiding or rejecting your feelings for her because your demon will go against you in rebellion to get what it wants. And as you witnessed tonight… it can get ugly when your demon feels threatened."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding. "I hear you, Father." He took another sip of his drink, staring at the fire and seeing Kagome's face within the flames. 'Kagome…'


LMK what you thought. The two of them are so cute together :)